Everyone has grandparents or know elderly people that go walking because they believe it will make them healthier and be able to take on the challenges humans face at the later stages of their life, such as the inability to do things they used to be able to do and pains in their body. Although this is true, running regularly might be a much better alternative that fight back against aging in ways walking just can't. One reason why walking is not a good exercise for elderly people in the long run is because of the fact that as they get older, it becomes increasingly harder for them to even walk properly, and this leads to shorter walks, and soon, this exercise will come to a complete stop simply because the old body just can't keep up with these activities.
According to a The New York Times article, researchers at the University of Colorado in Boulder and Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif. started wondering if this decline of older people's physical ease is inescapable, or if it can be reversed or slowed by other exercises, and running in particular. 30 men and women from Boulder were recruited in the age range of late 60's to 70's to conduct the university's research.
Fifteen of these volunteers walked at least 30 minutes or more for 3 weeks, and the other fifteen ran for at least 30 minutes or more for 3 weeks. The scientists then gathered the volunteers and had them all walk on special treadmills where their oxygen intake and how hard their feet hit the treadmill, to assess their bio-mechanics were recorded at the Locomotion Laboratory in the University of Colorado.
As it turned out, the runners had more efficient walking than that of the walkers, because they required less energy to keep up with the pace of the treadmill. The runners did so well that the researchers compared the older people's walking efficiency to the walking efficiency of younger people who were conducted in a previous experiment. The researchers found that the walking efficiency of the older runners(ranging in ages from late 60's to 70's) had about the same efficiency of of a sedentary college student.
The reason for this is because of the fact that prolonged aerobic exercise, such as running, is known to increase the number of mitochondria within muscle cells. This increase in mitochondria provides more energy to move for longer periods of time with less effort. Also, the runners are also believed to be more coordinated than the walkers, and this allows for fewer muscles that are needed to contract during movement, which means less energy is spent.
This study shows that there are better ways for older people to stay in shape and keep their body fit, and could really benefit the health of older people. I chose this topic because it goes along very well with the topic we are learning in class, which is energy balance and learning about how the foods we eat and the different types of exercise play a big role in our lives. Running can be a great exercise for people of all ages, as it burns calories and has many long-term benefits and keeps us in shape. Also, I really enjoy running, so this article was interesting to me.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/run-to-stay-young/?src=me&_r=0
I know that running is a better way to keep in shape as opposed to walking, but I feel that older people aren't necessarily equipped for running if they already aren't keeping themselves in shape. Plus they are more prone to diseases and fatigued muscles that could potentially worsen if they engage in rigorous physical activities like running which younger people don't have to worry about as much. But I did find this study interesting, and it could even be used as motivation to get other people to run more.
ReplyDeleteIt is a good idea to inform middle-age adults of this so that they will be healthier as they age but for the elderly, some walking is better than no exercise at all. It's important for them to still attempt to incorporate moderate levels of physical activity into their daily routine.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what this study says, about old people and that they need to read. The problem is that most old people have heart problems and intense running for long amounts of time can induce a heart attack. I think fast walking is a great alternative.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting, I always wanted to know if the decline of physical activity in older age was able to be reversed, and now I know that you can keep up with the amount of physical activity but in different methods of exercising so that older people can keep up with their own amount of activity without feeling like they can not do anything. The amount of exercise will always help you and is a good thought to know that we will still be able to exercise well into age.
ReplyDeleteI think running in general, for anyone would keep anyone healthy, but I think there is an exception for older people, as running might make them feel worse, whereas walking, or speed walking would be more in their comfort zone. If they can run, I think it is a great way to stay in shape, but some would feel discomfort running.
ReplyDeleteYeah, running is definitely a good exercise but I do have a doubt if they can serve the purpose for elderly. Last week I had been to the gym, and saw a trainer making an old man do some knee exercises and I could see his knee shaking. If such a small exercise can affect the man, then probably heavy running isn't a good idea.
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