Exercise May Reduce Disability Even in Frail Seniors

Sedentary older adults who start exercising may experience less disability, according to a new study published online Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine . Researchers assigned 1,635 adults ages 70 to 89 to participate either in a structured exercise program or in health education workshops, reports Reuters . The exercisers did up to 150 minutes a week of walking and activities to improve strength, balance, and flexibility. After two years, people who were not frail at the start of the study were no less likely to become frail with exercise than without it, the study found, but they were less likely to lose their ability to rise from a chair, one component of frailty. "The benefits of physical activity in terms of preventing physical disability still persist in older adults who are already experiencing symptoms of frailty," said senior study author Roger Fielding of Tufts University in Boston.