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Research Links Physical Activity, Functional Fitness, Mood in Seniors

People may have different notions of aging gracefully, but they all may involve higher levels of physical activity, according to two studies presented at the American College of Sports Medicine’s 57th annual meeting recently held in Baltimore. Scientists from Portugal and Japan found strong correlations between physical activity and perceived health, functional fitness, and mood. Lack of activity tended to correlate with poor balance, depression, and perceptions of poor health.

Maria Machado, MSc, led a study of 350 Portuguese older adults aged 65 to 96. Those who reported being more physically active had better perceived health. They also had greater functional fitness, giving them an improved ability to perform tasks of everyday living. “This association was stronger in Portuguese women, probably due to their daily living routines involving such tasks as housekeeping and shopping,” she said. “Living with others was also related to perceived health.”

Machado believes an aging population has significant public health implications for Portugal, which has one of the world’s highest percentages of older adults. (Eighteen percent are aged 65 and older, according to the Population Reference Bureau.)

 “Helping people live longer is one of humanity’s greatest triumphs,” she said. “It is also one of our greatest challenges because it will increase economic and social demands. The expected burden of disease and disability has become a critical concern. To increase the autonomy of the elderly thus becomes crucial to the survival of the system and poses a challenge to policymakers.”

Japan’s population is even older, with 23% aged 65 and older. Researchers there found a relationship between functional fitness and depression. Yoshinori Kitabatake and colleagues assessed activities of daily living in 21 subjects aged 73 to 79 who had been diagnosed with minor depression by a psychiatrist. Those who stood and walked more had milder symptoms of depression, less fatigue and confusion, reported more vigor, and were better able to take care of themselves.

“These results suggest a relationship between low levels of daily-living activities and depression,” said Kitabatake. “We propose that older people follow an exercise program to elevate mood and improve symptoms of depression.”

— Source: American College of Sports Medicine