University of California at Los Angeles researchers showed in a pilot test that older adults who participated in a program aimed at becoming more physically active increased their walking levels by about 24 percent -- an average increase of 2.5 miles per week.

Lead author Dr. Catherine Sarkisian worked with 46 sedentary adults over age 65 who attended four weekly, hourlong group sessions led by a trained health educator. The researchers used a technique known as "attribution retraining" to effect a change in what it means to age and what to expect.

The participants were taught to reject the notion that becoming older means becoming sedentary and to accept that they can continue engaging in physical activity well into old age.

Each retraining session was followed by a one-hour exercise class that included strength, endurance and flexibility training.

The study is available on the Web site of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.