Hour Of Brisk Walking Weekly Could Prevent Disability In Arthritis Sufferers

BOSTON (CBS) -- A brisk walk every day could keep disability at bay. A new study from Northwestern University says older adults with arthritis can help reduce maintain their daily function by doing short bursts of physical activity every day.

People with osteoarthritis of the hip, knee, ankle, or foot can have so much pain and stiffness, they can't perform their normal daily activities. Sometimes they can't even walk across the room.

But when researchers looked at data on 1,500 older adults with arthritis, they found that those who did one hour of moderate-to-vigorous activity every week, or just 10 minutes a day, reduced their risk of disability by 85 percent and their trouble performing simple routine tasks like bathing and dressing by almost half.

Most guidelines recommend at least 2.5 hours a week of moderate exercise for older adults but for many people with arthritis in their legs, that is just not doable.

They're hoping these findings will motivate people to at least do a brisk 10-minute walk every day to help them preserve their function.