Walking keeps seniors mobile

Walking as little as 20 minutes a day can keep older adults moving independently, according to Yale researchers. The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Study evaluated 1,635 sedentary men and women aged 70 to 89 who were at risk for mobility disability. The clinical trial, published this May in JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, found that participants in a moderate-intensity physical activity program saw an 18 percent reduction in the risk of disability compared to participants in a health education program. “Maintaining independence for older adults is both a public health and a clinical priority, and modifying lifestyle is an important approach to maintaining independence,” said Thomas M. Gill, M.D., Humana Professor of Medicine and study co-author.