A study led by Dr. Marco Pahor, director of the UF Institute on Aging, shows daily moderate physical activity may mean the difference between seniors being able to keep up everyday activities or becoming housebound.
Called the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders, or LIFE, study, it is the first of its kind to look at frail, older adults and proves that physical activity can help these people maintain mobility and dodge physical disability. The study took place at eight field centers that included three CTSA institutions (UF, Stanford University and Yale University). The researchers recruited 1,635 sedentary men and women ages 70 to 89 for the study. The results were published in the May issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The clinical study was supported by the National Institute on Aging and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.
Read more at the links below:
- NIH Research Matters, June 2, 2014:
Physical Activity Program Helps Maintain Mobility - UF news release, May 27, 2014:
Study proves physical activity helps maintain mobility in older adults - Journal of the American Medical Association, May 27, 2014: Effect of Structured Physical Activity on Prevention of Major Mobility Disability in Older Adults: The LIFE Study Randomized Clinical Trial.