HHS HealthBeat (January 25, 2006)

Actively growing older

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I'm Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

For some people, growing older means getting weaker and finding life less fulfilling. But not for all people. And a kinesiology researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign says a big factor in having a satisfying life is staying active.

Edward McAuley looked at people over 65 who hadn't been exercising, but started. His study in Annals of Behavioral Medicine was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

"The seniors who were participants in our study and remained active over a 12-month period had higher levels of fitness – as one would expect – but also greater levels of confidence in their abilities to complete physical tasks, felt better about themselves, and overall had improved quality of life." (15 seconds)

And after five years, those who stayed physically active – things like walking and gardening -- had even better quality of life.

Learn more at www.hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I'm Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: August, 15 2006