Fast walking can reverse signs of frailty in the elderly. Frailty is recognized as a syndrome that increases health risks and can lead to serious complications after routine surgeries and infections. Signs of frailty include reduced walking speed and longer times to complete mobility tests.
Impact of Exercise on Frailty
New research published in the journal PLOS ONE shows that individuals who walk faster are more likely to experience improvements in their frailty scores. This study was conducted in 14 nursing homes and included various groups of individuals who exercised regularly.
Research Method and Results
In this research, exercise groups were formed in nursing homes, and researchers assessed the frailty status of individuals before and after the exercises. The groups were divided into two categories: one group that walked at a slow pace and another group that was encouraged to walk faster. The results showed that nearly 70% of the high-intensity walking group experienced improvement in one or more categories, while this figure was 46% for the slow walking group.
However, a larger number of individuals in the high-intensity group dropped out of the study, which may affect the results. Nevertheless, researchers believe that this study indicates that high-intensity physical activity can be safe for the elderly, with only one decline recorded during the study.
Operational Challenges
Dr. Sarah Spinoza, a geriatric specialist, points out that implementing these findings may be challenging as healthcare systems typically do not cover costs for high-intensity physical exercises. This research could pave the way for developing more suitable exercise programs for the elderly that help improve their quality of life.
Researchers hope to expand their work to other elderly individuals who use smartwatches to better understand how to encourage people to walk faster.
