65 is the new 25: The training technique that’s turning back the clock for older adults

Moreover, participants in the BET group reported that physical activities felt easier over time, indicating that the combined brain and physical training might help recalibrate the relationship between exercise and perceived effort. This could make it more likely for older adults to stick with exercise routines, further enhancing their health and well-being.

“These promising initial findings show we should do more to encourage older people to engage in BET to improve brain and body activities,” Ring adds.

Of course, because the study only involved a small group of women, Ring says more research on BET is needed with larger sample sizes that include both genders.

Though we can’t turn back time, this study suggests we might be able to make it work a little harder for us. So don’t be surprised if your next visit to the retirement community feels more like a trip to a futuristic training facility. The seniors of tomorrow might just be the superheroes we’ve been waiting for.

Paper Summary

Methodology

The study of 24 sedentary senior women used a randomized controlled design, dividing participants into three groups: BET, exercise-only, and control. The BET and exercise groups performed identical physical training, but the BET group added a cognitive task before each session. All participants underwent cognitive and physical tests four times over 12 weeks. These tests were done both when participants were fresh and after a mentally fatiguing task, allowing researchers to assess performance under different conditions.

Key Results

Both BET and exercise-only groups showed improvements in cognitive and physical performance compared to the control group. However, the BET group consistently outperformed the exercise-only group, especially when participants were fatigued. BET led to larger improvements in tasks like walking distance, chair stands, arm curls, reaction time, and cognitive accuracy. These improvements were maintained even four weeks after the training program ended.

Study Limitations

The study had a relatively small sample size of 24 participants, all of whom were women. This limits the generalizability of the findings to men or larger populations. Additionally, the study only assessed a limited range of cognitive and physical tasks, and the long-term effects beyond 12 weeks were not evaluated.

Discussion & Takeaways

The researchers suggest that BET could be a powerful tool for improving both cognitive and physical health in older adults. By enhancing performance and building resilience to mental fatigue, BET could help older adults maintain independence and reduce the risk of accidents or falls. The study also hints at the potential for BET to make exercise feel easier, which could encourage long-term adherence to fitness routines.

Funding & Disclosures

The study authors declared no conflicts of interest. Information about specific funding sources for this research was not provided in the paper. As with all scientific research, it’s important for readers to consider that further studies, preferably with larger and more diverse samples, would be beneficial to confirm and expand upon these findings.

Source: Study Finds

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