Exercise Is Always Good

Do you have a parent or a friend who is over 80 years of age? Get him or her to exercise regularly now! In a study, the results of which were published in the December 2002 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 22 elderly people rode an exercise bicycle or walked on a treadmill about twice a week for an average of 20 minutes each session. Before starting the program, the participants were sedentary. Several had health problems, including coronary artery disease and arthritis.

Yet, even this modest amount of exercise led to ?nice improvements? in peak oxygen consumption. Analysis revealed that the amount of improvement ?was directly related to the time spent exercising.? Thus it is never too late to benefit from physical activity.