Exercise Speeds Wound Healing

Exercise is good for you. It helps you lose weight, stay flexible, reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease and now may help wounds heal faster.Older adults are likely to experience delayed rates of wound healing, impaired neuroendocrine responsiveness, and increased daily stress.Exercise activity has been shown to have a positive effect on physiological functioning and psychological functioning among older adults. A recent study from the University of Ohio published in the Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences has found that regular exercise speeds up the wound healing process up to 25%.

This is important news for seniors. The body's natural ability to heal even small wounds decreases with age. This 3 month study included 28 older adults. Half participated in exercise on a regular basis, and half (control group) did not exercise.After acclimating to their exercise program for a month, each participant (both groups) in the study received a small puncture wound on the back of the upper arm. The wounds were photographed three times a week until they were no longer visible. In the group that exercised regularly the researchers found that skin wounds healed an average of 10 days faster than those who did not exercise.

The exercise sessions included 10 minutes of warm-up floor exercises and stretching followed by 30 minutes of pedaling on a stationary bike. The participants then either walked briskly or jogged on a treadmill for 15 minutes. This was followed with 15 minutes of strength training, with five minutes of cool-down exercises at the end of each exercise session. The exercises were done three times a week during the study.

One surprising finding in the participants was an increase in cortisol levels. Cortisol is also called the "stress hormone" and exercise was generally felt to reduce stress. “The stress of exercise may enhance the regulation of cortisol," Charles Emery, lead author of the study said. “This increase in cortisol levels may represent a biological pathway by which exercise helps wounds heal."

This study supports the advice of medical experts who recommend exercise for health.

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