Posted 1/11/2008

Blair to lecture on exercise at S.C. Aging Research Conference

Arnold School exercise guru Dr. Steven Blair will deliver the keynote speech at the 2008 South Carolina Aging Research Conference: Movement and Mobility March 30-April 1 at Clemson University.

Blair, an internationally recognized authority on exercise and its health benefits, was among a team of University of South Carolina researchers who reported that seniors who get a regular dose of physical activity live longer than unfit adults, regardless of their body fat.

Those finding were reported in a study published in the Dec.5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study, conducted between 1979 and 2001, is the first to examine the link among fitness, body fat and death in older Americans.

Blair’s remarks are expected to set the tone for the conference aimed at helping health providers increase physical activity levels of older adults and assessing functionality and fall risk factors in order to enhance movement and mobility.

It will also feature basic science and clinical research on movement disorders such as Parkinson's Disease. The format features keynote speakers, as well as concurrent sessions on basic science, clinical research, and the assessment of movement, mobility, and driving.

Headquarters for all activities is the Madren Conference Center on the Clemson University campus. Aimed at physicians, nurses, social workers, health educators, therapeutic recreation specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nursing home and rehabilitation facility managers, the registration deadline is February 14.

More information about the conference is available at: http://www.clemson.edu/aging/08Conference_details.htm.