Science finds the best exercise for older adults

Groundbreaking new research, just published in the journal Psychology of Sport & Exercise, has discovered an exercise technique that could be the key to maintaining both mental clarity and physical health in older adults.

Scientists have discovered a unique formula for maintaining mental clarity and health, combining exercise with other factors. Research from Study Finds shows that regular exercise not only improves physical health but also improves mental health. This new discovery opens up a positive path for maintaining overall health. Learn more about the benefits of exercise through this study.

Researchers from the University of Extremadura (Spain) and the University of Birmingham (UK) conducted an eight-week trial on 24 healthy, sedentary people aged 65 to 78, mostly women. The participants were divided into three groups:

Results showed that both the BET group and the exercise group improved in cognitive and physical performance compared with the control group.

Exercise-only group: Three 45-minute sessions per week, including 25 minutes of walking and 20 minutes of resistance training (like crunches and bicep curls). BET group. This is a new training method called Brain Endurance Training (BET), which combines physical and brain training: It consists of two parts: Before each physical session, there is a 20-minute cognitive training session. Then there is the same training as the exercise group. And a control group that does not exercise.

To test the effectiveness of the training, the authors assessed participants' cognitive and physical performance at four time points: before starting the training, midway through the program, immediately after the program ended, and 4 weeks after the program ended.

Importantly, these tests were administered twice during each assessment: once when the participants were “lucid,” and again after they completed a 30-minute cognitive task that left them mentally fatigued. This allowed the researchers to assess how well the training methods helped participants maintain their performance even when they were mentally fatigued.

On cognitive tests, the BET training group increased their accuracy by 12.1% even when fatigued.

How does daily exercise improve health?

Results showed that both the BET and exercise groups improved cognitive and physical performance compared to controls. However, the BET group consistently outperformed the exercise-only group, especially when participants were in a fatigued state.

Specifically, from the beginning to the end of the study, the BET group consistently increased their performance on the physical test even when fatigued, compared to only a 47.5% increase in the exercise group. On cognitive tests, the BET group increased their accuracy by 12.1% even when fatigued, while the exercise group increased by 6.9%.

Study author Dr Chris Ring, professor of psychology at the University of Birmingham, said: “The results demonstrate that BET training can be an effective way to increase cognitive and physical performance in older adults, even when fatigued. This could lead to increased longevity and well-being in this group, including a reduced risk of falls and accidents.

Furthermore, in the BET group, the exercises gradually became easier, making it easier for older adults to adhere to exercise, thereby improving their health and well-being.

These promising initial findings suggest that older adults should be encouraged to participate in BET to improve brain and body functioning, Professor Ring added, according to Study Finds.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/khoa-hoc-tim-ra-cach-tap-the-duc-tot-nhat-cho-nguoi-lon-tuoi-185241023102029091.htm