A combination of diet and exercise in gym clothing reduces frailty in obese elderly people, a study has suggested.

Conducted by a team at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, the research evaluated the effects of dieting and exercise in more than 100 obese elderly people over the course of a year.

Weight loss was found to improve physical function by about 12 per cent and exercise by 15 per cent, but a combination of the two improved physical performance by 21 per cent.

The study has been published today (March 31st) in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Principal investigator Dr Dennis T. Villareal, adjunct associate professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, said: "Combining exercise and weight loss isn't designed so much to extend their life expectancy as it is to improve their quality of life during their remaining years and to help seniors avoid being admitted to a nursing home."

Earlier this week, personal trainer Alan Gordon said squat thrusts help older people to maintain their balance.

Posted by Sue Wallis ADNFCR-2569-ID-800482462-ADNFCR

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