Yoga, Exercise and Ageing
	There is strong experimental evidence to indicate that older adults can exercise safely, and that regular exercise will improve physical fitness (Green & Crouse, 1995; Pate, Pratt & Blair, 1995; Bravo et al., 1996), prevent injury and disease (LaCroix et al., 1993; Province et al., 1995), and improve quality of life (King et al., 1997). The adage ‘if you don't use it, you lose it’ applies to our muscles and aging. Or does it?
	The 'use it or lose it' adage is actually only partly true. Even very active people still lose muscle strength with age. Physical activity can’t completely stop or reverse the effects of aging. That said, there are ways to 'use it' that are better than others in when it comes to retaining muscle strength. Our muscles and strength gradually decline as we get older and with some people that loss starts to occur as young at 30. For folks who have hit 60 or more, the reductions are significant, particularly if they lead a sedentary lifestyle. The decline is also more prominent in women. Physical activity, especially load bearing exercise, can help maintain and even increase the size and strength of all muscles in older men and women. This is important because adequate size, strength and function of muscles are essential for many basic daily activities and ultimately, quality of life as we age.
	Load bearing exercises strengthens not only muscles and bones but ligaments and tendons – so less stress is placed on joints. And by preserving muscle strength we can maintain our functional independence. Dr P. H. Fentem [Dept of Physiology  and Pharmacology The University of Nottingham] showed as far back as 1978 it doesn’t take strenuous exercise to improve the bone density and muscle tone of people in their 70’s and 80’s.
	Regardless of age, it’s never too late to start. One study has demonstrated that even people aged 90 or more can make significant strength gains with as little as eight weeks training.
	Advantages of strengthening exercises for older people include:
		• Increased muscle strength • Increased muscle size • Increased bone density • Improved metabolic adaptations
	It is recommended that people incorporate load bearing exercises into a fitness program that also includes some aerobic exercise. But Yoga doesn’t really meet the requirement of aerobic exercise. Brisk walking and/or swimming are generally regarded as the safest aerobic exercise and the former is cheap! The ‘Falls’ programme set up by Loughborough University in 1997 demonstrated the benefit of exercise with people. The work with some councils in South London clearly demonstrated a reduction in the number of hip fractures with people undergoing the exercise regime that it made it commercially viable for the councils to become very proactive in promoting exercise for older people. Many other programs ie; Dr K. Vincent and Dr. R Braith of University of Florida strengthened these ideas.. researchers found that people who took part in six months of weight training gained bone density in the hip area and seemingly triggered their metabolism to produce bone rather than allow it to deteriorate with age.
	Exercise 'sharpens ageing brain'
	It has been found in a number of research programmes that if you bring even mild aerobic exercise such as walking or swimming into your exercise regime it can boost boost performance in key areas of the brain. The report  published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, predicts that exercise could improve "decision-making" and "focus". Note: Stretching and toning exercise did not yield the same level of benefits although it has been shown that focussing/concentration exercise can have a benefit on mind. It is possible that improved blood flow to the brain may be partly responsible, or that exercise stimulates the release of chemicals that influence brain cell growth and activity.

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