Exercise may not be all that it's cracked up to be for seniors

One study argues that for octogenarian women in independent living situations, exercise may not produce more muscle, according to researchers from Ball State University.


In an attempt to increase the size of the thigh muscle, several women exercised three times a week for 90 days, for three sets of 10 repetitions of the exercise.


After undergoing an MRI and the biopsy to test the size of the muscle, it was found that the size hadn't increased, although all of the women were able to lift more weight than they had been able to prior to the program.


Dr.

Scott Trappe says that the results come from better cooperation between the nervous system and the muscles, adding that exercise is beneficial, "just not as good as we thought it would be."


Other research has maintained that exercise is beneficial for seniors, including a Stanford University study that found senior citizens who exercised for more than an hour per week were less likely to become disabled.


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