While building healthy habits at an earlier age can have some long-term benefits, adding physical activity can help at all ages, new research suggests.
A new study found that physically frail elderly people with low muscle mass (sarcopenia) were able to reduce their level of “mobility disability” by 22% over three years, using a program that included specific changes to their exercise habits and diets.
The formula for success involved adding extra walking, along with strength, flexibility and balance exercises, to their daily routine. It also included increasing their protein intake, according to the paper published May 11 in the BMJ.
The findings confirm the value of structured physical activity in older adults living on their own, said Dr. Thomas Gill, author of an editorial accompanying the study….