Reduces Long-Term Risk of Falls.\"

¶ … reduces long-term risk of falls." (Jan 2006). Health News. Retrieved 23 Feb 2007 at http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0857/is_1_12/ai_n17213266

I've fallen and I can't get up," proclaimed a famous old advertisement, depicting a decrepit old woman lying on the floor. Yet recent evidence suggests that regular exercise is important for everyone, even seniors. But fears of falling and injuring one's self, especially amongst seniors with low bone density, can often inhibit a senior from practicing even a moderate exercise regime. This is especially true of women, who often have low bone density and fear breaking a hip. But recent research suggests that increased activity can prevent, rather than cause falls in the elderly.

In the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and reprinted in the journal Health News, a comparative study of three different kinds of exercise suggested that exercise can prevent falls in older women up for to a year after the exercise program ends. One group of women participated in a six-month resistance-training program (lifting light weights). According to the study, this group of women was 43% less likely to fall than when they began the program. Women who performed agility exercises (games, dances, and obstacle courses) to improve balance, coordination, and reaction time maintained a 40.1% lower risk of falling. A third group that participated in stretching exercises and had a 37.4% lower risk of falls.

Several questions arise to the groupings. First, there seems to be no control group, although presumably the control group was that of other, non-exercising senior women. Secondly, the difference between the two final groups seems odd -- what is the difference between balance and stretching, exactly? Also, why was no cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, stationary cycling, or even swimming included in the comparison? What about including a group of women who participated in all three types of activity? Might this group be the 'most' protected of all? And how is likelihood of falling judged? No data was recorded on the women's previous exercise regime, to see if this might have an impact upon their likelihood to fall.

All of the 98 women were between the ages of 75 and 85, and had low bone mass at the outset of the study. No records were given regarding any increase of bone mass after the exercise regime or a year after, during the follow-up research. While the authors concluded that the benefits from all three types of group-based exercises were sustained for at least 12 months without participating in a formal exercise program and noted that participation in any exercise program at all appeared to motivate the women to continue to exercise after the completion of the study, no monitoring on what percentage of women continued, and if this gave further protection was noted. Also, was a lesser likelihood to fall dramatically lower when the exercise regime was being administered?