A combination of walking, strength, flexibility and balance exercises, combined with a good diet, has been found to help reduce mobility disability in older people by 22 per cent, according to new research published in The BMJ.
Dr Thomas M Gill, Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology, and Investigative Medicine at Yale School and Humana Foundation Professor of Geriatric Medicine, at New Haven, Connecticut, led a trial to discover whether a combined intervention of physical activity with technological support and nutritional counselling prevents mobility disability in frail older adults.
Dr Gill also wanted to compare their results to those from education on healthy ageing.
US and European Union data indicates that about 13 per cent of adults, aged 70 years and older, are living in the community with mobility disability, which is linked to a poor quality of life, admission to hospital or residential care, and death, with resultant greater healthcare costs.
It is therefore important to find safe and effective ways to preserve mobility in older people at risk of further decline.
The research is based on 1,519 men and women (average age 79 years) with physical frailty and sarcopenia (a combination of reduced physical function and low muscle mass), from 11 countries in Europe.
And the best exercises to do regularly to improve mobility and reduce the risk of serious falls?
- Sit to stand/squats 10 times – strengthens all your muscles in your lower limbs;
- Heel raises: hold on to the back of a chair and go up onto toes, repeat 10 times – good for balance and calves;
- Heel to toe walking – initially holding on – is great for balance;
- One leg stand – hold on to support lightly and try and hold for 10 seconds; and
- Lunges and resistance work, depending on ability.
