Wounds Heal 25% Faster In Older Adults Who Exercise Regularly
January 10, 2006 – 12:24 pmWounds Heal 25% Faster In Older Adults Who Exercise RegularlyThe body’s ability to heal even small skin wounds normally slows down as we age. But a new study in older adults finds that regular exercise may speed up the wound-healing process by as much as 25 percent. “This is the first time we’ve been able to document this kind of enhancement associated with exercise,” said Charles Emery, a professor of psychology and the lead author of the Ohio State University study. The faster that a wound heals, the less chance it will become infected.
The study included 28 healthy older adults ranging in age from 55 to 77 (average age was 61). The participants hadn’t exercised regularly for at least six months prior to the study. For the research, about half (13) of them exercised three times a week for three months. The other 15 participants served as controls and were asked not to change their physical activity habits during the study period.
Each subject received a small puncture wound on the back of the upper arm. Adults in the exercise group started working out about a month before the wound procedure; this gave their bodies enough time to adapt to a regular exercise program.
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