Living Smart: How exercise can keep you ‘fit to drive’

Driving Safety Awareness and Zero Tolerance Week in Green Valley starts tomorrow.

I can’t think of a better time to talk about how exercise can work toward improving driving skills.

Older drivers (70 and above) have the second-highest incidence of traffic fatalities at 25 deaths per 100,000 accidents. Only teenagers have a higher fatality rate at 30 deaths per 100,000.

There are a number of risk factors that can affect our driving ability as we age. These include vision and hearing loss, medications, drowsiness and mental impairment. Flexibility, mobility and reaction times also decline with age or as a result of chronic disease, but regular exercise may reduce the effects and slow the decline.

A recent study conducted by the Yale University School of Medicine reports that drivers who exercised regularly made 37 percent fewer “critical” driving errors than those who did not.

One hundred seventy-eight adults age 70 and older who drive at least once per week participated in the study. They were evaluated on their ability to perform various driving maneuvers in traffic situations in urban, residential and highway settings.

Over the course of three months, participants performed exercises for flexibility, hand and leg coordination, range of motion and walking. The study concluded that exercise can help older drivers maintain or enhance their driving skills.

Drivers need flexibility to move their body and joints freely in order to observe the road from all angles, react and respond to other drivers, and perform basic driving functions.

Exercise helps prepare drivers for the nuts-and-bolts aspects of operating a vehicle, such as braking, getting in and out of the car, looking to the side and rear, steering and parking. Physically fit drivers also have an easier time sitting for long periods of time, maintaining posture and preventing fatigue.

Cognitive skills enhancement

While there are varying opinions on the benefits of exercise, there is already a great deal of evidence to demonstrate that it can lower the risk for developing some age-related changes in cognitive abilities.

More research is needed to know exactly how much and what types of exercise produce the most benefit.

For now, it is smart to follow the Center for Disease Control’s recommendation to accumulate a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity (aerobic exercise) most days of the week.

The American Automobile Association offers an online self-rating form for drivers 55 and older.

The American Association of Retired Persons also offers an eight-hour driver-safety program at sites around the country and online for adults 50 and older.

Many insurance companies provide a discount to those that complete the course.

There is even a Web-based simulation program — Golden DriveFit software — to improve cognitive skills for driving.

Spend a few minutes on the Internet and you will find a number of useful sites, but for starters you might check http://www.helpguide.org/elder/senior_citizen_driving.htm.

Join us on Wednesday, April 2 at 10 a.m. at Friends Indeed, 301 W. Camino Casa Verde, for more information about driving safety.

Paul Kline of the Sheriff’s Auxiliary will be talking about Driving Tips for Mature Drivers and I will be demonstrating exercises and give you some exercise tips to keep you “Fit to Drive.”

Green Valley resident Ann Sirianni is a certified fitness trainer. Contact here at gvfitness@cox.net or 465-1221.