|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Fitness & Exercise for Senior Citizens
Obese, Sedentary Older Women Improve Fitness with
Just a Little Activity
It just takes 72 minutes a week and you get a
smaller waist, too
 May 15, 2007 -
Just small amounts of physical
activity, approximately 75 minutes a week, can help improve the fitness
levels for postmenopausal women who are sedentary and overweight or
obese, according to a study in the May 16 issue of the Journal of the
American Medical Association. The women in the study also reduced
waist circumference, although there was no significant weight loss.
| |
Related Stories |
|
| |
Sit-Ups and Sundaes Dont Mix: Diet with Exercise
Works Best
24 studies find effective weight-loss
needs
exercise and diet
By Taunya English, Science Writer, Health Behavior
News Service
October 27, 2006
Senior Citizens Can Begin Exercise and Reduce Risk
of Invasive Breast Cancer
Researchers say it's never too late to start active
lifestyle
Feb. 15, 2007
Older Women Who Stay Fat Are Shrinking Their Brain
Nov. 23, 2004
Reduced Risk of Breast Cancer Noted in Older Women
with Higher Physical Activity
Physical activity reduces body fat, the major
source of estrogen in postmenopausal women
December 12, 2006
Exercise Provides Significant Reduction in Lung Cancer
Risk for Women Smokers
Almost half who have lung cancer surgery smoke
again in a year, says another study
December 11, 2006
Older Women Reduce Breast Cancer Risk with Regular
Exercise, Weight Control
High BMI, low physical-activity equals estrogen 50%
to 100% higher
October 9, 2006
Middle-Aged Women find it takes more than Diet to
Reduce the Abdomen
Five-year study shows exercise decreased fat cells
by 18 percent
August 7, 2006
Religious Older Women are More Likely to Exercise
and Enjoy Active Lives
The same does not hold
true for older men or younger adults
Feb. 24, 2006
Read more
on
Senior Citizen Fitness & Exercise |
|
Low levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are
associated with high risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death, and
improvements in fitness are associated with a reduction in these risks.
Physical activity habits are the primary
determinant of fitness in adults and changes in physical activity result
in changes in fitness, according to background information in the
article. However, there is a poor understanding of the relationship
between levels of physical activity and the change in fitness levels.
Timothy S. Church, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., of the
Louisiana State University System, Baton Rouge, La., and colleagues
examined the effect of 50 percent, 100 percent, and 150 percent of the
NIH Consensus Panel physical activity recommendations on
cardiorespiratory fitness in sedentary, overweight or obese
postmenopausal women with elevated blood pressure.
The Panel recommends at least 30 minutes of
moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of
the week.
The study included 464 sedentary, postmenopausal
overweight or obese women whose body mass index ranged from 25.0 to 43.0
and whose systolic blood pressure ranged from 120.0 to 159.9 mm Hg.
Enrollment took place between April 2001 and June 2005.
Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4
energy-expenditure groups for the 6-month intervention period:
● 102 to the nonexercise control group,
● 155 to the 4-kcal/kg (400 calories) per week,
● 104 to the 8-kcal/kg (800 calories) per week, and
● 103 to the 12-kcal/kg (1,200 calories) per week.
Target training intensity was the heart rate
associated with 50 percent (a modest intensity) of each womans peak VO2
(a measure of oxygen consumption and fitness level).
The average minutes of exercising per week were
72.2 for the 4-kcal/kg, 135.8 for the 8-kcal/kg, and 191.7 for the
12-kcal/kg per week exercise groups. Compared with the control group,
the VO2abs (absolute) increased by 4.2 percent in the 4-kcal/kg, 6.0
percent in the 8-kcal/kg, and 8.2 percent in the 12-kcal/kg per week
groups.
There were no significant changes in systolic or
diastolic blood pressure values from baseline to 6 months in any of the
exercise groups vs. the control group.
There were no substantial changes in many of the
CVD risk factors or weight.
"However, given the clinically normal baseline
levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride, and fasting
glucose levels and the high level of high-density lipoprotein
cholesterol, it is not surprising that we did not observe change in
these variables," the researchers say.
"Furthermore, we observed no changes in weight or
body fat percentage, which was expected because this study was not a
weight loss trial and the participants were frequently informed that the
objective was not weight loss and were encouraged to keep other
lifestyle habits consistent from baseline throughout the study.
"However, we did observe a decrease in waist
circumference. It is well documented that exercise without dietary
intervention has limited effectiveness in producing substantial weight
loss.
"It is of clinical significance that despite no
differences in weight across groups, all exercise groups had a reduction
in waist circumference compared with controls.
"This finding confirms the work of others who have
suggested that exercise is an effective tool in reducing waist
circumference even without substantial weight loss. The reduction of
waist circumference is of particular clinical importance given the
increased risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and
mortality associated with excess abdominal adiposity."
The author's say, Perhaps the most striking
finding of our study is that even activity at the 4-kcal/kg per week
level (approximately 72 min/wk over about three days) was associated
with a significant improvement in fitness compared with women in the
nonexercise control group.
This information can be used to support future
recommendations and should be encouraging to sedentary adults who find
it difficult to find the time for 150 minutes of activity per week, let
alone 60 minutes per day.
Dose-response relation between physical activity
and fitness even a little is good; more is better
In an accompanying editorial, I-Min Lee, M.B.B.S.,
Sc.D., of the Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School,
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, comments on the study
concerning physical activity levels and fitness.
Although the trial by Church et al shows a linear
dose-response relation between physical activity and improvements in
physical fitness, with benefit observed beginning at 72 minutes a week
of moderate activity, it is limited in its ability to provide direct
answers for other patterns of physical activity.
"Understandably, because of cost and feasibility
reasons, the trial mimicked only three physical activity patterns that
can occur; in real life, there are infinitely more.
Although current knowledge regarding the
dose-response relation between physical activity and health remains
incomplete, the study by Church et al does provide important information
on the dose of physical activity to improve physical fitness, a strong
predictor of chronic disease and premature mortality.
"This may be succinctly summarized for patients and
clinicians as Even a little is good; more may be better!
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
