Hopping can have health benefits according to a study reported by the Daily Telegraph (Finnigan, 2015). The Hip Hop Study from Loughborough University shows that hopping for two minutes a day improved bone mineral density in the active compared with the non-active leg of 34 men aged 65-80 years. In the Book ‘Hopscotch’ (Jaffe, 2002),… Read More
Research Paper Title Outdoor physical activity and self rated health in older adults living in two regions of the US. Background Older adults spend little time outdoors and many are physically inactive. The relationship between outdoor physical activity and self rated health has not been studied in older adults. This paper aimed to assess the… Read More
Many claims have been made for the benefits of fish oil derived n-3 (or w-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), though none appears to have strong evidence (BMJ, 2015). A new addition to the list is the prevention of muscle loss in older people. 40 healthy people aged 60-85 were randomised to n-3 PUFA pills whil… Read More
Very few diabetes trials have ever included people aged 80 years or older (BMJ, 2015). Yet a search of the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink between 1990 and 2013 identified 12,881 people who were newly diagnosed with diabetes in that age group and who were given drug treatment (Hamada & Gulliford, 2015). Although the number… Read More
A recent British Medical Journal (BMJ) article pointed out that most fractures in people of 70 years or older occur in those without osteoporosis. Therefore, the answer to the problem cannot lie in more bone densitometry and biphosphonate prescribing. A 5-year follow-up report from a Finnish trial suggests that exercise programmes could be far more… Read More
Older people are bombarded with advice to keep active. A cross sectional survey of 3499 Irish people aged 65 and over shows that nearly 70% of respondents manage at least 30 minutes a day of moderate intensity activity five days a week (Age and Ageing 2015, doi:10.1093/ageing/afv042). It also shows that the variables most strongly… Read More
Research Paper Title Stand Up for Health – Avoiding Sedentary Behaviour might lengthen your Telomeres: Secondary Outcomes from a Physical Activity RCT in Older People. Background Telomere length has been associated with a healthy lifestyle and longevity. However, the effect of increased physical activity on telomere length is still unknown. Therefore, the aim was to… Read More
Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute 