If you fear that the elderly in your family might have falls and suffer from fractures and injuries, the best thing to do would be to encourage them to go for walks. According to a University of Georgia study, which appears in the issue of the ‘Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy’, older adults can decrease their risk of disability and increase their likelihood of maintaining independence by 41% by participating in a walking exercise program. In the past decade, researchers have focused on the benefits of strength training in maintaining independence, but until now we didn’t have good evidence using an objective performance measure that a walking program would improve physical functioning,” said study co-author M. Elaine Cress, professor of kinesiology and researcher in the UGA Institute of Gerontology. “Our study found that walking offers tremendous health benefits that can help older adults stay independent.” Walking doesn’t require any special equipment other than a pair of comfortable shoes, which makes it a simple and low-cost way for people to become active at any age. We know that walking is good for us, but too many people still aren’t doing it. This study shows that just walking on a regular basis can make a huge impact on quality of life of the elderly.
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