A new study shows that aquatic exercises bear significant relaxing results for seniors.
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Swimming may be a more effective treatment for high blood pressure than relaxation, according to a study done at the University of Texas, Austin’s Cardiovascular Aging Research Laboratory. For the study, researchers divided a group of 43 adults over the age of 50, with some of them performing 12 weeks of swimming exercises and some 12 weeks of relaxation exercises. The results: The swimmers’ systolic blood pressure decreased approximately nine points and their carotid arteries showed a 21% increase in contraction ability. The other group showed no significant changes.
Other studies reveal even more noteworthy benefits to aquatic exercise, including bolstered brain function support in older swimmers, and an overall 50% lower death rate in swimmers when compared to runners, walkers and, of course, sedentary people. Swimming is also an ideal choice for those with bone and joint conditions—when your body is completely submerged, you bear only about 10% of your weight.
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