DDB Physiotherapy

A pair of new studies  published in Archives of Internal Medicine have indicated that mental decline in people over 55 years of age can be decreased by keeping up an exercise programme. The risk of developing impairment of mental faculties was less in those who participated in moderate or high physical activity in the first study.

The second study in Canadian women between 65 and 75 years of age showed an improvement in mental abilities after a resistance training programme.

The scale of the effects surprised the researchers with a 50% cut in the chances of developing mental impairment with physical activity and in that moderate activity had almost the same beneficial effects as high levels of physical activity.

The number of older people is steadily increasing and we will need to provide effective and value for money interventions to delay both physical and mental decline.

Dr. Thorleif Etgen, the lead researcher in the first trial, indicated that clinicians should be more proactive in enquiring about patients' physical activity and encourage them to participate regularly

The resistance study showed good effects at 12 months but not at 6 months, perhaps indicating that maintaining an exercise programme over a long period is important.

The evidence goes with much other evidence indicating the value of exercise in a large variety of conditions. Encouraging, instructing and maintaining exercise programmes in older people is going to be more and more important for physiotherapists as the elderly population rises.

Reference: Archives of Internal Medicine. 2010;170(2):124-125, 170-178, 186-193.