fit over 50's

Fit over-50's turn back the clock - Exercising an hour a day for 12 weeks lets older women regain fitness of their 20's -
excerpts from an article in the NZ Herald September 24 '09

Research shows that over 50's who make regular visits to the gym, go for a long bike ride or enjoy a swim can regain the fitness they had in their 30's.
Tests revealed 12 weeks of exercise was enough to produce the rejuvenation.

Two studies by scientists at the University of California found the 'post menopausal' women can achieve the same health benefits from regular vigorous exercise as younger women.
Professor George Brooks, an exercise physiologist, said: "the women in our study had the cardiovascular and metabolic capabilities of women 16 years younger. The results were very encouraging for exercise without with loss as an effective means for increasing vigour and controlling risk factors in older women".

The finding could explain why some high profile exercise fanatics continue to look so healthy as they get older. Madonna still works out at 51, British television presenter Anne Robinson runs regularly and does weight training at 64, while choreographer Arlene Phillips has become a dance star at 66.
Although the tests involved endurance training by cycling on an exercise bike for an hour, five days a week, researchers believed "that even less strenuous aerobic exercise was likely to produce some benefit. The findings were published in the journal Metabolism and the Journal of Applied Physiology. Telegraph Group Ltd.