Queensland University of Technology (Australia) researchers urge that women would benefit from being prescribed exercise as medicine. Debra Anderson and colleagues completed a systematic literature review to reveal that moderate to high intensity activity is essential to reducing the risk of death in older women. The team reports that: “All studies found that physical activity was associated with lower rates of cognitive and physical decline and a significant reduction in all-cause mortality. In this review we found that exercise interventions (or lifestyle activities) that improved cardiorespiratory exercise capacity showed the most positive impact on physical health.” Writing that: “Findings suggest that programs should facilitate and support women to participate in regular exercise by embedding physical activity programs in public health initiatives, by developing home-based exercise programs that require few resources and by creating interventions that can incorporate physical activity within a healthy lifestyle,” the study authors submit that: “The review also suggests that clinicians should consider prescribing exercise in a tailored manner for older women to ensure that it is of a high enough intensity to obtain the positive sustained effects of exercise.”
Exercise Rx for Longevity
Australian team submits that health professionals should prescribe tailored exercise programs for older women.
Anderson D, Seib C, Rasmussen L. “Can physical activity prevent physical and cognitive decline in postmenopausal women?: A systematic review of the literature.” Maturitas. 2014 Jun 20. pii: S0378-5122(14)00206-0.
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