(HealthScoutNews) -- A simple exercise program can improve the mental and physical health of women taking care of a demented spouse or parent at home.

These caregivers are prone to depression, sleep troubles, weaker immune systems, high blood pressure and conflict with other people. However, those problems can be reduced through exercise, says a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The Stanford researchers recruited 51 women. They were all at least 50 years old, and lived with and cared for a demented relative. The women did no regular physical activity and provided at least 10 hours of care a week for their relative.

Each woman received counseling on how to do regular 30- to 40-minute exercise sessions each week at home, and each was tracked for a year.

Even though the women provided an average of 71 hours of care a week for relatives, 70 percent of them kept to the exercise program for the entire year. During that time, the amount and intensity of their exercise increased, along with their knowledge of physical activity.

By the end of the year, the women who maintained their exercise program were significantly less depressed and stressed, the Stanford researchers say. The findings appear in the May/June issue of Psychosomatic Medicine.

More information

The National Institute on Aging helps set ground rules for establishing a good exercise program for older people.

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