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Nancy Solomon
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solomonn@slu.edu
October 28, 2005
A Workout for Your Worries: SLU Study Explores Emotional and Physical Benefits of Exercise in the Elderly
ST. LOUIS — Exercise may not be able to hold off the effects of aging but it may improve an elderly person’s quality of life, both physical and mental.
This is the hope of researchers at Saint Louis University’s Doisy College of Health Sciences who are recruiting volunteers for a unique study of exercise in the elderly. The study will explore the impact of exercise on adults 65 years or older who feel worried, sad or nervous about not being able to do the things they once did.
“Maybe they can’t climb the stairs anymore without gripping the railing or they can’t walk short distances without becoming winded,” said Joanne K. Schneider, Ph.D., R. N., associate professor of nursing and the study’s primary investigator. “Some elderly accept the decline in their physical functioning as part of the aging process. ‘I’m just getting old,’ they’ll say. But others become worried and nervous about it—maybe even depressed—and they’re struggling. Our study provides programs that target their physical and emotional needs.”
Participants in the year-long study will work individually and in groups with a trainer who specializes in exercises for the elderly. Workouts will focus on aerobics, strength training and flexibility. Participants also may take part in support counseling to share their thoughts or feelings; or health groups where participants will exchange information and ideas. Those who volunteer for the study must not have a health problem that makes exercise dangerous and they must score in the average range on thinking and memory tests. Schneider said the researchers plan to recruit at least 30 volunteers.
“The first thing we hope to do is help our participants recognize why they feel the way they do about their level of functioning and then use that understanding as a way of motivating them to follow through with an exercise program,” said Schneider. “We help them understand that physical activity is their best chance of maintaining an independent life.”
Schneider’s research is funded by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
For more information about the study or to volunteer, contact Debbie Bronder, research coordinator, at (314) 977-8976.
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