Aging
Elderly need to exercise more to keep fit
By IANS
Mar 27, 2006, 12:36

People in their 60s and 70s may need to perform more physical activities or exercise to keep themselves fit, says a study.

It is common knowledge that as people age, there is a decline in the exercise or work a person can do before becoming exhausted.

Researchers led by Wayne C. Levy at the University of Washington in Seattle suggest that this is not just a product of the aging cardiovascular system being less able to send oxygen to working muscles, but that the older body also needs more oxygen to perform the same work as a younger one i.e. the exercise efficiency declines.

The study, published in the current issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests that the older we get the harder we have to work to keep fit.

Seniors it seems may have to work harder than young people to perform the same physical activity, but regular exercise may close that age gap, they said.

According to Levy it is unclear as yet how intensely people need to exercise to retain their efficiency as they age, but he suspects that any activity done regularly, including walking, would have benefits.

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