Active in Old Age Keeps People Mobile
People over 70 who aren’t active are more likely to develop problems walking or climbing stairs within a few years, according to a new study.
These findings suggest that it’s very important to stay _____(51) in old age, study author Dr. Marjolein Visser told Reuters Health.
"Physical activity in old age is as important _____(52) taking your medications(药物)," Visser noted. "You do not need to join an expensive, fancy sports club with high-tech (高科技的) equipment. Your body will already _____(53) from regular walking."
Visser, a Dutch (荷兰的) scholar, explained that _____(54) active helps prevent people from becoming breathless during simple activities, increase muscle mass and strength, and maintain the balance people need to walk up stairs, for instance.
To investigate how important exercise is to older adults, Visser’s team interviewed 3,075 men and _____(55) between the ages of 70 and 79, all of whom said they had no problems walking one-quarter of a mile or climbing _____(56). The investigators followed the subjects for 4-1/2 years, noting who developed problems _____(57) and climbing stairs.
During the study, 34 percent of men and 47 _____(58) of women said they began to struggle with walking and climbing stairs. People _____(59) were inactive were twice as likely to report these problems as people who said they got regular exercise.