March 20 (UPI) -- A new exercise program can help aging adults fall less and live longer, a new study says.
People in nursing homes who went through a six-month exercise program fell less than those who didn't participate, according to a study published Wednesday in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The research showed that the program can help to extend lives and reduce frailty in older adults.
The study included 112 people over age 70 who were able to stand and walk independently for at least 10 minutes.
The program consists of individualized, progressive strength and balance exercises at moderate intensity, one hour a day, twice a week. The researchers wanted to see what effect this program had on the frailty of elderly people.
During their lifetime, more than half of all Americans will live in a nursing home, one study says.
This study corresponds to past studies that report older adults fall less when they exercise.
Exercise not only helps elderly people stay on their feet, but it can also help reduce cognitive frailty., a condition that causes mental impairment and physical weakness.
About one in four adults over age 65 will report each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Further research is needed to ascertain whether those who engage in this kind of individualized program ultimately die with better function and lower dependency," the researchers wrote.
