The study was conducted by researchers at the Oregon Research Institute in Eugene, Ore., and will be published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Researchers studied more than 100 people over 60 for a 16-week period, finding that when they walked on smooth, rounded cobblestones for a half-hour a day over four months, they significantly lowered their blood pressure and improved their balance.
"These are very exciting results," said John Fisher, one of the lead scientists on the study. "These issues are highly important for preventing and delaying the onset of frailty among older adults, as well as helping them maintain their current health status."
The institute's researchers were inspired by people in China who walk back and forth over traditional stone paths. Others danced and lifted weights on the cobblestones.
"We visited China and noticed that adults of all ages spent about 30 minutes each day walking, standing, and sometimes dancing on these beautifully laid paths of river stones in the parks and gardens of large cities," Fisher said in a news release. "They did this for their health every day of the week."
Study volunteers walked on a mat that simulated the cobblestones. A control group simply walked for an hour, three times a week. Only those who walked the cobblestones showed significant improvement in balance, measures of mobility and blood pressure.
The researchers are now selling cobblestone mats that were used in the study for $25 each, plus $10 shipping.
