Exercising Vs. Not Exercising in the Elderly

Lack of physical activity is identified as the fourth leading risk factor for mortality, and the chief cause of numerous negative health conditions on a global scale, according to information provided by the World Health Organization in 2013. While these statistics cut across all age groups, there are various distinctions between elderly persons who exercise and those who don’t. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines "older adults" as persons who are at age 65 and older.

Active Elderly

• A February 2002 article in the journal, "American Family Physician" reports that as a whole, when older adults engage in consistent exercise, their occurrence of age-related illness and death decreases. The articles cites cases whereby there was an improvement in osteoarthritis, memory, diabetes, blood pressure and other conditions through regular exercise. Additionally, the University of Maryland Medical Center website notes that because muscle strength declines as people age, consistent exercise is imperative for gaining and/or maintaining stronger muscles. While there are some exceptions, the vast majority of elderly persons can benefit from exercise.

Inactive Senior Citizens

• In spite of the overwhelming health benefits from exercise, the February 2002 article in "American Family Physician" cites that up to 75 percent of elderly persons in the United States are not physically active enough to reap these benefits. However, it is not too late for elderly persons to begin an exercise program to experience health benefits. The journal article also notes that mortality rates were lower in those patients who did not begin regular exercise until late in life when compared to patients who were active only in younger years and then subsequently stopped exercising.

Sarcopenia

• In addition to increased mortality rates, lack of exercise worsens various diseases such sarcopenia, which is the loss of muscle mass, tone and strength that occurs with aging. While the process of sarcopenia can begin as early as your 30s, its affects are usually not apparent until about age 70. According to an October 2003 review article in the "Journal of Gerontology: Series A," since sarcopenia likely results from multiple factors, exercise might not completely prevent it; however, exercise prevents the acceleration of sarcopenia, may prevent some cases of it altogether, and is a powerful treatment option for it.

Requirements

• Aerobic activity or "cardio" gets you breathing harder and your heart beating faster. To get the maximum health benefits of exercise, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that older adults should engage in at least 2 ½ hours of moderate aerobic activity, such as walking, and a minimum of 2 days of muscle-strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups including the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulder, and arms. However, if you participate in a vigorous aerobic activity, such as jogging, you only need to engage in 1 hour and 15 minutes of the activity per week. Muscle-strengthening activities include lifting weights, body resistance exercises such as pushups and situps, heavy gardening and yoga. Prior to beginning an exercise program, you should consult with your physician.