Over-60s exercise claim based on just 12 people

Conclusion This small preliminary study indicated high intensity training (two sessions per week for six weeks) improved blood pressure, aerobic fitness and mobility in and out of a chair, compared with a control group of 12 people over the age of 60. While this research is promising, there are a number of limitations to be aware of. We don't know anything about what the control group were asked to do. For example, control groups are often given lifestyle advice as part of an incentive to take part in studies and are otherwise free to continue whatever lifestyle habits they had before, but we don't know if this was the case in the current study. Curiously, the control group also improved significantly on many measures, so it would be interesting to know what they were doing that also led to these improvements. It is somewhat of a strange oversight that no information was given on the control protocol – possibly a more in-depth description of the study is in the pipeline. There was also no discussion of the potential risks of high intensity exercise in the elderly, a concern that has been raised in the past, particularly in the frail, and could include exercise-related injuries or a raised risk of heart attack. As the publication was so brief, we do not know the basic fitness level of either group, as the results of the medical outcomes study were not presented, nor do we know if they had any medical conditions. Based on this study alone, we do not know if the potenti...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Older people Source Type: news