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Background. Several reports suggest beneficial impacts of either physical or mental activity on cognitive function in old age. However, the differential effects of complex mental and physical activities on cognitive performance in humans remain to be clarified. Methods. This randomized controlled trial evaluates a cognitive and a physical standardized 6-month activity intervention (3 x 1.5 h/wk) conducted in Berlin (Germany). Two hundred fifty nine healthy women aged 70-93 years were randomized to a computer course (n = 92), an exercise course (n = 91), or a control group (n = 76), of whom 230 completed the 6-month assessment. Group differences in change over a period of 6 months in episodic memory (story recall, possible range, 0-21: word recall, possible range, 0-16), executive control (working memory, ie, time quotient of Trail Making Tests B/A). and verbal fluency were evaluated by analyses of covariance (intention to treat) adjusting for baseline, fluid intelligence, and educational level. Results. In contrast to the control group, both the exercise group, [DELTA]M (SD) = 2.09 (2.66), p < .001. and the computer group, [DELTA]M (SD) = 1.89 (2.88), p < .001, showed improved delayed story recall. They maintained performance in delayed word recall and working memory (time measure) as opposed to the control group that showed a decline, [DELTA]M (SD) = - 0.91 (2.15), p = .001, and [DELTA]M (SD) = 0.24 (0.68), p = .04. respectively. Conclusions. In healthy older women, participation in new stimulating activities contributes to cognitive fitness and might delay cognitive decline. Exercise and computer classes seem to generate equivalent beneficial effects. Key Words: Mental activity--Physical activity--Cognitive performance--Older adults. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glq053

Inactivity has been identified as a major contributor to the burden of disease in older women. Study aims were: (a) to assess the personal, social, and environmental facilitators and impediments to physical activity in older women from ethnic communities; and (b) to determine the factors associated with physical activity participation. Older women (aged 60-84 years) were recruited from the local Italian (n = 20), Vietnamese (n = 26) and Anglo-Celtic (n = 26) communities. A survey questionnaire was administered in the participants' preferred language. The most common barriers were: 'I am not in good health,' 'I am self-conscious about my looks,' 'I am too tired,' 'I don't have time,' and 'The weather is bad.' When comparing the ethnic groups, the Vietnamese women reported fewer barriers than the Italian women (2.6 vs. 5.9). While the Vietnamese women were much more likely to report being 'self-conscious about my looks,' the Italian women more commonly reported poor health, being too tired, and not liking exercise as barriers. Overall, those living alone were more likely to be active and those who reported fear of injury, less active. Recognizing ethnospecific differences in the prevalence of barriers may be important when devising strategies to increase activity levels of older women. KEYWORDS older women, physical activity, ethnic populations, barriers

The literature on aging is replete with the positive effects of physical exercise on the well-being of older adults. Some suggest, however, that the potential impact of social activities has not received adequate attention, and others note the importance of distinguishing between the physical and nonphysical impact of these activities. This study investigated whether line dancing, a physical activity, led to an increase in social activity. Thirty women over the age of 60 were interviewed to discover how line dancing affected them. Content analysis of the interviews helped identify various themes indicating that line dancing enabled these women to expand their repertoire of social activity, leading to positive reinforcements such as further community involvement, charitable work, inclusion in national sports events, self-expression, and personal development. The impact of line dancing plainly goes beyond the perceived physical benefits. KEYWORDS. Line dancing, older women, social activities, Cape Town, South Africa

Background. Regular exercise has been reported to slow the age-associated declines in natural killer cell activity (NKCA). To evaluate this response, we recruited older, postmenopausal women (65-85 years old) to fill one of two groups: training (10 weeks of resistance exercise; TR) or control. Methods. Blood samples were collected from an arm vein in the TR group at rest (PRE), immediately following (POST), and 2 hours (2H) following an acute bout of resistance exercise both before (BEFORE) and after (AFTER) training. Leukocytes and NKCA were determined by flow cytometry and a whole blood [51.sup.Cr] release assay, respectively. Results. Acute exercise increased total leukocyte (p < .05), CD8 (p < .05), CD4 (p < .05), and CD56 counts (p < .05), but there was no effect of training. NKCA was greater TR-AFTER-PRE (136%), -POST (80%), and -2H (127%) compared to similar values from TR-BEFORE (p < .05). Conclusion. Increased resting NKCA after chronic resistance training suggests that immunity has been improved.

Research shows that regular, long-term physical activity is linked to better cognitive function in elderly women, and may help prevent cognitive decline. Physical activity includes walking. data are drawn from 18,766 women from 70 to 81 years of age in the United States.

Byline: P. Gerdhem (1), K. Akesson (1), K. J. Obrant (1) Keywords: Bone density Leisure activities Physical activity Abstract: The importance of a physically active lifestyle as a preventive measure for maintaining bone mass is often stressed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of everyday physical activity on bone mass from young adulthood to old age in 75-year-old women. Bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry technique in total body, hip (femoral neck and trochanter), and spine (LII--LIV) in a population-based cohort of 995 women, all 75 years old. Each woman responded to a questionnaire giving an estimate of the previous and present physical activity level at work and leisure time from youth and up to the present age of 75 years. No correlations were found between the different estimates of physical activity level and BMD. In a multiple regression analysis the different estimates of physical activity level did not have any combined effect on BMD in any of the skeletal regions measured neither did the physical activity, previous or present, differ when the subgroup of women with a BMD in the highest quintile at all sites was compared with women with a BMD in the lowest quintile. The activity level in the various areas of life did not correlate to each other indicating that few women had chosen a generally active vs non-active lifestyle. A hypothetical positive effect on bone by one activity could therefore be diminished by another. The answer alternatives were mostly not normally distributed, which could also affect the results, making it difficult to identify women with extremely high or low physical activity level. In conclusion, the results from this study of randomly selected elderly women cannot confirm an effect of previous and present everyday physical activity on bone mass. Neither was it possible to find an effect of physical activity in those women with the highest BMD at all sites, suggesting that other factors are of greater importance for maintaining bone mass in elderly women. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Orthopaedics, Malmo University Hospital, 205 02, Malmo, Sweden Article History: Received Date: 22/04/2002 Accepted Date: 12/11/2002 Article note: Electronic Publication

Byline: R. Korpelainen (1), J. Korpelainen (2), J. Heikkinen (3), K. Vaananen (4), S. Keinanen-Kiukaanniemi (2) Keywords: KeywordsaElderly women; Lifestyle factors; Osteoporosis; Physical activity; Risk Abstract: aThe aim of the present population-based cohort study was to evaluate the contribution of lifelong lifestyle factors to calcaneal and distal forearm bone mass in elderly women. We studied 1222 of the 1689 eligible home-dwelling women aged 70--73 years. Lifelong occupational and leisure time physical activity, calcium intake, smoking, alcohol intake and medical history were obtained by a self-completed questionnaire. Main outcome measures were broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) of the calcaneus and bone mineral density (BMD) of the radius measured once in 1997--1998. The women with BMI a$? 25.1 kg m.sup.2 had lower BUA (p &lt 0.0001) and radial BMD values (p &lt 0.0001) than women with higher BMI. Lifestyle factors associated with BUA in the leanest women were: low physical activity at work (RR 0.4 95% confidence interval 0.2 to 0.8), low habitual exercise at the ages 30 years , 50 years and currently (RR 1.5 1.0 to 2.4 RR 1.5 1.1 to 2.6 RR 1.7 1.1 to 2.7), poor mobility (RR 1.9 1.2 to 3.0), coffee intake aY= 5 cups/day (RR 1.7 1.1 to 2.7), type 2 diabetes (RR 0.3 0.1 to 0.9) and hypertension (RR 0.5 0.3 to 0.8). Type 2 diabetes protected lean women from lower distal and ultradistal radial bone density (RR 0.3 0.1 to 0.8 RR 0.1 0.1 to 0.5). The selected lifestyle factors were not associated with lowered calcaneal or radial bone density in the higher categories of BMI. In conclusion, risk factors for lower calcaneal and radial bone density appear to be different among lean and normal/obese women. Lifelong recreational physical activity, low physical activity at work, type 2 diabetes and hypertension seem to be associated with increased bone density, while high coffee intake may increase the risk of lower bone density in lean elderly women. These factors are potentially modifiable, and intervention studies targeted at this risk category of women are needed. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Sports Medicine, Deaconess Institute of Oulu, Isokatu 43, 90100 Oulu, Finland Fax: +358 8 371855 e-mail: raija.korpelainen@oulu.fi, FI (2) The Department of Public Health and General Practice, University of Oulu, Finland, FI (3) Oulu, University Hospital, Finland, FI (4) The Department of Neurology, University of Oulu, Finland, FI (5) The Clinic of Osteoporosis, Deaconess Institute of Oulu, Finland, FI (6) The Department of Anatomy, University of Turku, Turku, Finland, FI Article note: Received: 16 May 2002 / Accepted: 26 August 2002 AcknowledgementaWe would like to express thanks for all the material and financial support we have received for the study from the Ministry of Education, Finland, The University of Oulu, Finland, The Deaconess Institute of Oulu, Finland and The Juho Vainio Foundation, Finland. We also thank late MSc Paavo Makinen and MSc Paavo Soini for their technical assistance, and RN Sarianna Vaara and RN Arja Retsu for performing the bone measurements.

Evidence of the benefits of physical activity in the health of aging women continues to grow, but questions remain about the factors that influence these women's ability to engage in this behavior. The authors used a qualitative design to describe the social and culture-specific perceived benefits and barriers to physical activity among 143 Latina women, ages 40 to 79. Content analysis of these women's responses revealed that perceived benefits (health promotion, physical fitness, improved roles) and barriers (time constraints of women's roles, personal health, internal and external factors) function as competing elements that may explain physical inactivity among aging Latina women. This emphasis holds promise as a feasible and effective primary care intervention for achieving increased physical-activity-related health benefits.

Byline: Mark D. Litt (1), Alison Kleppinger (1), James O. Judge (1) Keywords: exercise; adherence; geriatrics; processes and stages of change model Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to determine the extent to which modifiable social learning constructs predicted long-term adherence to an exercise program in older individuals. Participants were 189 women aged 59 to 78 years and diagnosed with low bone density. Exercise behavior was assessed at 3-month intervals. Self-efficacy, readiness for change, orientation toward exercise, social support in general, and support specifically for exercise were measured at baseline and at 12-month follow-up. Analyses indicated that initial adoption of exercise behavior was best predicted by readiness to change. Maintenance was predicted by self-efficacy for exercise, and exercise behavior at 12 months was predicted by social support for exercise. The results were seen as supportive of the stages and processes of change model of health behavior change. Implications of the findings for interventions to enhance adoption and maintenance of exercise programs by older women are discussed. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health MC 3910, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, 06030 Article History: Registration Date: 12/10/2004

Background. The study objective was to determine the health and quality-of-life effects of moderate-intensity exercise among older women family caregivers. Methods. This 12-month randomized controlled trial involved a volunteer sample of 100 women aged 49 to 82 years who were sedentary, free of cardiovascular disease, and caring for a relative with dementia. Participants were randomized to 12 months of home-based, telephone-supervised, moderate-intensity exercise training or to an attention-control (nutrition education) program. Exercise consisted of four 30- to 40-minute endurance exercise sessions (brisk walking) prescribed per week at 60% to 75% of heart rate reserve based on peak treadmill exercise heart rate. Main outcomes were stress-induced cardiovascular reactivity levels, rated sleep quality, and reported psychological distress. Results. Compared with nutrition participants (NU), exercise participants (EX) showed significant improvements in the following: total energy expenditure (baseline and post-test means [SD] for EX = 1.4 [1.9] and 2.2 [2.2] kcal/kg/day; for NU = 1.2 [1.7] and 1.2 [1.6] kcal/kg/day; p < .02); stress-induced blood pressure reactivity (baseline and post-test systolic blood pressure reactivity values for EX = 21.6 [12.3] and 12.4 [11.2] mm Hg; for NU = 17.9 [10.2] and 17.7 [13.8] mm Hg; p < .024); and sleep quality (p < .05). NU showed significant improvements in percentages of total calories from fats and saturated fats relative to EX (p values < .01). Both groups reported improvements in psychological distress. Conclusions. Family caregivers can benefit from initiating a regular moderate-intensity exercise program in terms of reductions in stress-induced cardiovascular reactivity and improvements in rated sleep quality.

Byline: K. Uusi-Rasi (1), H. Sievanen (1), M. Pasanen (1), P. Oja (1), I. Vuori (1) Keywords: Key words:Body weight -- Bone loss -- Dietary calcium -- Osteoporosis -- Physical activity -- Prospective Abstract: This prospective study focused on lifestyle factors and weight maintenance that may modulate the rate of bone loss at the weight-bearing proximal femur and non-weight-bearing distal radius in elderly women. Altogether 128 women of 134 subjects participated in this study with a mean follow-up time 3.9 years (range 2.9--5.3 years). The initially 60- to 65-year-old subjects were originally selected by their level of physical activity [high (PA.sup.+) and low (PA.sup.--)] and calcium intake [high (Ca.sup.+) and low (Ca.sup.--)], and the original groups were maintained in this study. Physical fitness and bone mineral content (BMC) decreased significantly at a similar rate in all four study groups without any statistically significant between-group difference. The mean change in the muscle strength of leg extensors was -3.3% (95% CI -5% to -1.5 %) at follow-up when including all individuals. The leg extension strength was still 9.2% (95% CI 2.7% to 16.1%) better in the PA.sup.+ groups compared with PA.sup.-- groups at follow-up. The mean change in the forearm flexion strength was -14% (95% CI -16.5% to -11.3%) at follow-up with no difference in the strength level between PA.sup.+ and PA.sup.-- groups. The mean change in the estimated oxygen uptake was -3.4% (95% CI -5.6% to -1.1%) at follow-up. The PA.sup.+ groups were still fitter, the between-group difference in the estimated oxygen uptake being 11.9% (95% CI 4.8% to 19.5%). The mean changes in BMC at follow-up were -2.1% (95% CI -3.0% to -1.2%) at the femoral neck, -1.9% (95% CI -3.2% to -0.5%) at the trochanter, and -12.4% (95% CI -15.4% to -9.4%) at the distal radius, indicating mean annual losses of 0.6% (95% CI 0.3% to 0.8%), 0.5% (95% CI 0.1% to 0.8%), and 3.2% (95% CI 2.4% to 4.0%), respectively. Decreased body weight was associated with higher bone loss in all measured bone sites. High calcium intake and better preservation of physical fitness were associated with a smaller decrease in femoral neck BMC. Author Affiliation: (1) UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, Tampere, Finland, FI Article note: Received: 25 July 2000 / Accepted: 1 December 2000

It is projected that by the year 2050 there will be an 'age wave' in the United States. Very old adults (over the age of 85), may represent as much as five percent of the population by that time. Females outnumber males at all ages, and it is estimated that by the age of 85, the ratio of women to men is 2.3/1. But greater longevity may be a mixed blessing for women, many of whom suffer extra years of chronic illness and poorer quality of life. Evidence exists that exercise may be beneficial in keeping older women healthier. The immediate benefits include a sense of 'feeling better', which is self-reinforcing and may lead to increased exercising. There is a sense of achievement also, and the sense that one is doing something good for oneself. The social benefits of exercise are apparent as well; women in supervised exercise programs find themselves with others of similar ages. The physiological benefits of exercise may be the most important. These are reviewed. Participants report stress reduction, better sleep, muscle relaxation, positive mood, and improved perceptions of the self. Thus, exercise can cushion some of the effects of stress on illness. Data suggest that exercise plays a role in increased longevity as well. Older women often face barriers to exercise. Their social role may predispose them to feeling guilty for taking time for themselves. There are also very real age-related barriers such as reduced income in later years, disease (arthritis), lethargy, and responsibilities for an ailing spouse. Elderly women may shun exercise for fear of wearing themselves out. Obtaining information concerning the appropriate level of activity can be difficult for women who want to exercise; a review of the literature on this topic is presented. Elderly women should be encouraged to get regular exercise in a supervised program. Researchers estimate that as much as half the decline associated with aging may be due to preventable chronic disease. The promotion of exercise for aging women is one way that society can give women the best opportunity to experience a full life course. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

A high-intensity strength and endurance exercise program has an impact on a variety of parameters of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in older women. General-purpose exercise programs primarily designed to reduce bone [...]

Researchers have shown that elderly women who exercise regularly can reduce their risk of osteoporosis and consequently, their risk of bone fracture. Exercises that increase strength, power, flexibility, and balance are especially important.

The short-term effects of an accessible exercise intervention on the strength and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among older adult women were evaluated. We conducted an 8-week resistance training intervention utilizing elastic bands in 62 community-dwelling women with a mean age of 68 years. Participants were randomly assigned to either an exercise or a control group. Pre- and postintervention assessments included strength tests and HRQOL. Results revealed significant increases in three major muscles compared to the control group. However, there were no significant changes on either mental or physical health functioning. The elastic bands provide older adult women with an inexpensive, practical exercise program that effectively increases strength within 8 weeks but may have little effect on self-reported HRQOL. Key Words: Exercise, Mental functioning, Physical functioning

We sometimes believe that, as we grow older, we get weaker and suffer more aches and pains. We might think that losing muscle and gaining fat are part of aging. [...]

Older women often face mobility limitations, including osteoarthritis that causes joint pain and stiffness, being deconditioned due to obesity, or after recovery from an osteoporotic fracture. However, that doesn't mean [...]