Help yourself and the nation get healthier: New clinical study recruiting

If you’re over 60 and looking to improve your fitness and muscle strength a new study at the University of Western Sydney could help you while you help science.

A team from the UWS School of Health and Science based at Campbelltown campus is researching the most effective types of training for an ageing population to deliver general muscle strength and fitness for men and women over 60 years of age.

Participants in the study will receive free regular personal training sessions over a 12 week period run by highly qualified exercise instructors. Results will be measured and recorded at the beginning and end of the study.

Exercise physiologist and supervisor on the trial, Dr Paul Marshall says senior citizens who engage in regular physical activity and keep good levels of fitness are more likely to maintain their physical independence longer.

“Elderly people who keep up their muscle strength and get out and about to do exercise will generally be able to maintain their physical independence to a much higher level than those who shun physical exercise or activity,” says Dr Marshall, a lecturer in the UWS School of Health and Science.

“This study will help reveal exactly what types of exercise are the most beneficial for people as they age.”

The Australian Bureau of Statistics projects that by 2101, the average life expectancy of Australians will sit between 85-96 years*, which means there will be a much larger proportion of older citizens in most communities. With an increasingly ageing population comes an increasing susceptibility to age related illness and injury within the community.

Dr Marshall says the study will not only help the nation stay healthy as it ages into the future, but for the men and women recruited to the study the health benefits will be much more immediate.

“People in the study should make significant improvements in their strength, power, and muscle size. At the completion of the training study, participants will be provided detailed advice on how their body has responded to the training program, and we will provide recommendations to improve future training progress,” says Dr Marshall.

Participants in the new study must be: