Active Lifestyle Benefits Seniors

Social interaction and physical activitymay be the keys for better sleep andimproved cognition among seniors. In astudy, reported in Sleep (December 15,2004), researchers from NorthwesternUniversity examined 12 healthy oldermen and women between 67 and 86years of age. The results of the studyshowed that 14 weeks of a daily 90-minute social and physical activity programimproved cognitive performanceby 4% to 6%, and also helped sleepquality.

The program followed by the participantsinvolved 30 minutes of stretching,walking, and stationary upper and lowerbody exercises, followed by 30 minutesof social interaction. The last 30 minutesincluded mild-to-moderate physical activity.The program concluded with a10-minute cool down.