Retire… But Keep on Exercising

While the majority of adults aged 65 and older are inactive and often fail to meet recommended physical activity guidelines, those living in retirement communities have greater access to recreational activities and exercise equipment. Lorraine J. Phillips, from the University of Missouri (Missouri, USA), and colleagues report that older adults in retirement communities who engage in more exercise experience less physical decline than their peers who reported less exercise. The researchers tracked the physical activity of 38 residents at an independent-living community, four times in one year. The team tested the residents’ walking speed, balance and their ability to stand up after sitting in a chair. Then, researchers compared the results of the tests to the residents’ self-reported participation in exercise. The data revealed that those residents who reported doing more exercise had more success maintaining their physical abilities over time. Importantly, however, most of the study participants did not report completing these types of activities despite daily opportunities for recreational activities and access to exercise equipment.  The study authors write that: “[physical activity] should be championed and supported to help ameliorate functional limitations in older adults.”