SENIOR CITIZENS FLEX THEIR MUSCLES TO ACHIEVE GOOD BALANCE
July 20, 1999
Contact Ross West (541) 346-2060
Source: Sandy Brauer (541) 346-0275
Barbara Susman, OASIS Director, (541) 342-6611, ext. 2601
EUGENE–For older Americans, aging normally means giving up some things that younger people take for granted, such as opening jars, walking down stairs without handrails, or bending over to work in the garden. But some local seniors who are participating in a new University of Oregon study on balance and aging are regaining lost abilities through a regular exercise program.
"It’s easier to lift, bend over and reach up," says Martha Harris, 66-year-old program participant. "My general health is better and I feel great. I’ve also noticed more endurance than my peers while exercising with those who aren’t part of a regular program."
The program, funded by the National Institutes of Health, involves 40 local seniors under the direction of researchers from the UO Department of Exercise and Movement Science. The group ranged in age from 56 to 81 years, with an average age of 71. Participants were members of OASIS, a national education organization for adults 55 and older.
The local program, sponsored by McKenzie-Willamette Hospital, Meier & Frank, and Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield/HMO Oregon, offers free membership and free to low-cost classes for its 6,000 members."The improvements in balance and flexibility have been amazing," says Sandy Brauer, the UO postdoctoral researcher in charge of the study. "We were skeptical that only one to two exercise sessions a week could produce dramatic positive changes, but after eight to twelve weeks of exercise, some of the subjects had improved by 100 percent."
Brauer and her research colleagues measured the seniors for balance, flexibility and strength using standard tests at the beginning of their exercise program and after eight to twelve weeks of exercise.
Brauer’s research focuses on the changes in balance due to aging. A group from OASIS wanted to monitor their progress in exercise programs such as yoga; qi jong, a stretching exercise similar to tai chi; and Enjoy Fitness, a type of aerobics class. And so began a relationship Brauer calls "the best of both worlds–experimental and practical."
"It’s the perfect clinical side to our study," says Marjorie Woollacott, head of the Department of Exercise and Movement Science. "It shows the real-life clinical applications to the studies."
Moreover, the research adds another dimension to understanding the effects of aging on older adults, according to Brauer.
"We are learning that older Americans can have fuller, more active lives if they regularly participate in a well-designed exercise program," she says.
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