Exercise- Wound Healing Catalyst

A study done at Ohio State shows that regular exercise helps to heal wounds in older men by as much as 25%. In this study 28 men were chosen ranging from about 55 to 77. All of the participants chosen had not participated in regular exercise for at least 6 months prior to this study. Of the 28 participants of this study 13 were chosen to start a regular exercise program, while the other 15 were asked to keep their current activity levels.

The participants who were chosen to begin an exercise program started so about a month before recieving a puncture wound in the back of their upper arms about 1/8in deep and wide, so that their bodies were used to a regular exercise program. The researchers then photographed the wounds 3 times a week until the wounds had healed.

The exercises that were done during these programs consisted of floor exercises, stretching, pedaling on a stationary bike, jogging/briskly walking on a treadmill, and a variety of strength exercises.

At the end of the study the results showed that the wounds of the participants that had been exercising regularly had healed an average of 10 days sooner.

The article can be found at:http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/exereld.htm