Use It, So You Don't Lose It

We all probably  know of at least one senior citizen  who seems to defy the laws of aging and remains  in top physical shape well beyond their  peers.  We also tend to dismiss this person as genetically  gifted  or just unusual.  However, research, and more  and more seniors, are showing  us that  this doesn't have to be the case. Many of the declines in fitness  with age are due to lack of use, not just the normal aging process. While it's  true that as we age we have to work harder than the young, a lot of the declines that  we attribute to aging may be reversed  with fitness training.

Exercise Improves Skin Healing in Elderly.

A common  complaint by senior citizens is how much longer it takes for injuries and wounds to heal as we get older. The body's ability  to heal even small skin wounds slows down as we age. A new study, however, finds that  regular  exercise by older adults  may speed up the wound-healing process by as much as 25 percent.

Stress  reduction and diet also cited  as helping memory

A recent study indicates  senior citizens cannot  only improve  their  aging bodies with exercise but that by adding  memory  exercises to their  routine  they can also preserve  their  memory.

Exercise  helps prevent Alzheimer's

A new study adds to the growing  evidence that  exercise - particularly if it starts  early and is

maintained over time  - is beneficial in preventing dementia  and Alzheimer's  disease. The study focused on the physical activity levels of older  people when they were middle  aged and concludes being physically  active in midlife  can significantly decrease the risk of dementia  and Alzheimer's.

Developing Good Balance  is Critical  Element of Healthy Aging

Balance has less to do with strength and everything to do with an elderly  person's ability  to get around  and live independently. Yet, few people in their later  years think  to practice  balancing-- until it's  too late.

Exercise, Healthy Diet  May Prevent Teeth Loss

Senior citizens and baby boomers  are pounded  with advice saying that  with exercise and a healthy diet their  mental  and physical health is substantially improved. Now, a new study says that even oral health is better. The exercise-and-eat-right lifestyle, the study says, can reduce periodontal disease, the main cause of loss of teeth.

Older  Senior  Citizens Who Don't  Exercise  Can Face Problems Even Walking

Even for older senior citizens, lack of exercise increases the risk of future  problems  with climbing stairs or even walking,  according  to research published  in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Strength Training Is an Antidote to Muscle Loss In Elderly

Resistance or "strength" training has repeatedly been shown to be a safe and effective  method of reversing  sarcopenia, or muscle loss, in the elderly. The condition  actually  starts  around  age 45, when muscle mass begins to decline at a rate of about  1 percent  per year.

Elderly  Women Should  Worry  More About  Exercise  Than  Weight

Elderly women should worry  more about exercising  than about controlling their  weight  in order to prevent  their  physical decline, according  to a study  done at the University of Pittsburgh  and recently published  in Preventive  Medicine.