Looking Young is Never Too Late for Old Adults |
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By: Maynard Joseph Delfin Posted: 2007-11-18 06:14:12 |
| Whenever we come across issues regarding healthy lifestyle, we are always reminded that we should quit smoking, eat a balanced diet and lose weight.At the same time, we are advised by doctors that regular exercise has a major role in catalyzing the lifestyle approaches toward staying in good shape.Recent studies showed that habitual exercising stimulates the body system, particularly the blood's passageway in the heart by dilating the coronary vessels. As a result, this allows more oxygen to pass through the cardiovascular vessels despite some narrowing processes or constriction as people age. This explains why a physically fit person is less likely to suffer from heart diseases such as heart attack and stroke.If the heart functions well, the possible consequences of having heart problems are less likely to occur. In a study conducted, it showed that having a sustained moderate exercise may help relax the blood vessels of older adults. As this happens, exercise helps restore the youthfulness of older men.Studies proved that as people reach old age, the blood vessels become more constricted contributing to the risks factors of having high blood pressure and clogging of the arteries. This in turn results in health problems related to the heart, kidney and other vital organs.However, the study made by the University of Colorado in Boulder gives sedentary older men the hope of still being healthy by simply having an hour-walk routine five times a week.Dr. Christopher A. De Souza said this is a very stress-free activity for most sedentary older men. He added that even the younger counterparts can do the same.The study consisted of 28 healthy but sedentary men. Thirteen were in their 20s; and the rest were in their 60s. A test called plethysmography was used to measure the function of the coronary vessel function of the participants. It was found out that blood vessels of the older men are more constricted than their younger counterparts. Eight older men underwent an hour-long walking exercise five times a week for three months. The rest remained sedentary.After a three-month exercise, the men in the routine exercise program showed a positive turnaround from constricted blood vessels to an improved vessel function compared to their counterparts, even without changes in their body weight, waistline, blood pressure and cardiovascular health status.Dr. De Souza said that although changes may not appear abruptly outside, there is something to look forward to since by exercising the inside is being improved.He added that couch potatoes men in their 60s can still strive to live a healthy lifestyle by starting to exercise. It is never too late to be healthy.Maynard Joseph Delfin finished AB Journalism (cum laude) at the University of Santo Tomas. He has worked as book editor, deskman, copy editor and research and publications officer in leading publishing and research companies. For comments about his articles, you can email him at delfinmj223@gmail.comRead more of Maynard Delfin's articles at http://www.maynard_delfin.instablogs.com or http://www.maynarddelfin.blogspot.com and http://www.shvoong.com/writers/maynard_delfin/ |
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