WBRZ - Baton Rouge

The Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge is receiving about $6 million to study the effects of exercise that prevents elderly people from losing the ability to walk.

The National Institute on Aging awarded $29.5 million to several institutions, about one-fifth to Pennington during the next two years to determine whether a specific physical activity program can stave off disability in older people.

It will be the largest trial ever undertaken to prevent "mobility disability" among seniors at risk of losing their ability to walk and to live independently.