Exercise Can Reduce the Impact of Disease

Exercise can help those who already have a chronic illness by reducing its impact and contributing to a higher quality of life. For example:

• A simple regimen of walking 3 times a week for a minimum of 30 minutes was effective in reducing the symptoms of peripheral arterial disease in older adults. (Gardner and Poehlman, JAMA, 1995)
  
  
• At the Avery Heights Continuing Care Retirement Community in Hartford, Connecticut (1996), more than 90 older adults with an average age of 85 years participated in a supervised exercise program. The fitness program focused on exercises to maintain the function and strength in the major muscle groups-- particularly the legs which are important to activities of daily living such as getting in and out of a car, walking, and maintaining balance. Some of the residents were able to live independently while others lived in the nursing home. After 6 months, residents experienced an average increase of 20 percent in upper body strength, 35 percent in lower body strength, and 25 percent in reaction time. The gains in strength were dramatic for many individuals. One particularly impressive woman in her 80s was able to press only 30 pounds with her legs when she began, six months later she was pressing 150 pounds.