Light Household Chores can Help Stave Off Disability

For many entering the later stages of their life, strenuous exercise or activities may be out of the question. Yet a recent study shows that keeping up with something as small as light household chores can be an easy way to reduce the risk of disability.

In fact, researchers discovered that just dusting off the coffee table or running the vacuum could reduce the rate of disability by 30 percent.

"The bottom line is to stay as active as possible. Even spending time in light activity will be beneficial," said lead author Dorothy Dunlop, a professor with the Center for Healthcare Studies at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, via WebMD.

Dunlop said that the federal government recommends that adults receive a minimum of 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity exercise a week. However, as many have health issues that may prevent them from staying active, this is not always possible.

For the study, researchers examined almost 1,700 adults aged 45 to 79 who had an elevated risk for disability due to knee arthritis.

Participants were asked to wear an accelerometer around one hip during their waking hours for about a week. This device measured daily movements and showed study authors how much time was spent doing vigorous, moderate or light physical activities.

After two years, researchers found that those who engaged more frequently in light activity were much less likely to become disabled.

The investigators found that people who frequently engaged in light physical activity were much less likely to become disabled, even after accounting for time spent in moderately intense exercise.

"Our findings provide encouragement for adults who may not be candidates to increase physical activity intensity due to health limitations," Dunlop said, via WebMD. "Even among those who did almost no moderate activity, the more light activity they did, the less likely they were to develop disability."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the BMJ.

Statistics show that around 15 percent of U.S. adults have a physical functioning disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).