Physical activity (PA) in older people is critically important in the prevention of disease, maintenance of independence and improvement of quality of life. In all WHO regions women and men become less active as they get older, despite plain evidence that being active benefits older adults, for example, preventing falls, remaining independent, reducing isolation, maintaining social links to improve psychosocial health. Show
Ageing is both biological and psychosocial changes.
A recent study examining 1-year changes in the physical functioning of older people using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework suggested a significant decrease in muscle strength (both hip abductors and knee extensors) walking capacity, speed, mobility, sit-to-stand performance, upper extremity function, and balance performance at the end of 1 year. Although there were no significant changes seen in the levels of participation in activities of daily living, activities related to balance, or physical activity. We live in an ageing population with the majority of people now are expected to live beyond 60 years.
As is commonly known, there are many health benefits of exercise and this stands true for adults of all ages. Systematic review and meta-analyses among Japanese community-dwelling older adults suggest the prevalence of sarcopenia (9.9% overall: 9.8% among men, and 10.1% among women), providing valuable information in addressing sarcopenia prevention in the older community. Resistance training will improve strength and can reverse or delay the decline of muscle mass and strength that occurs with ageing. Aerobic exercise can help to improve endurance by increasing the capillary density, mitochondrial and enzyme levels in the skeletal muscles. Together, this can help older adults to maintain their participation in ADLs and therefore maintain independence. Randomized Controlled trial demonstrated that Augmented Prescribed Exercise Program (APEP) enhances outcomes in weak older medical patients in the acute setting as compared to the usual care, thus suggesting that this intervention is valuable to frail medical inpatients. Exercise can also help to reduce the risk of many non-communicable diseases. Exercise has been shown to: Being active from an early age can help prevent many diseases just as regular movement and activity can help relieve the disability and pain associated with these conditions. Importantly, the benefits of physical activity can be enjoyed even if regular practice starts late in life. It has been suggested that older adults engaged in regular physical activity demonstrate improved: What Exercise is Appropriate for Older Adults?[edit | edit source]The type of exercise and intensity will depend upon the ability of the person. Physical activity for older adults can take many forms (e.g. walking, swimming, stretching, dancing, gardening, hiking, cycling or organised exercise sessions). However, there are several important considerations specific to the older adult population with regard to physical activity recommendations:
The current international recommendations for adults for physical activity include:
Every year approximately 30% of adults older than 65 experience at least one fall. Exercise has been shown to be effective in reducing the number of falls and the number of injuries from falls. This exercise can be either home or centre-based, group or individual; but must involve a mix of balance, gait training and strength training. Exercise must be challenging but safe. This can be achieved by reducing the participant’s base of support, getting them to move their centre of gravity or by removing their hand support. Ideally, at least 3 hours of exercise must be completed each week for the greatest reduction in risk of falls. Physical Activity in Dementia[edit | edit source]
Designing an Exercise Program[edit | edit source]WHO has published specific guidelines (2020) for people older than 65 and recommended that both aerobic exercise and strength training should be carried out.
The exact exercise chosen will, of course, vary from person to person. It is important that medical conditions are considered, as well as the patients' fitness and level of function. If exercise is new to someone, it should be first discussed with their health care provider and then a program of gradual increase should be implemented. As recommended by WHO, exercise should include both aerobic and strength training, but it should also ideally include a component of balance training and flexibility work. Options may include hiking, walking, swimming, gym, dancing, tai chi, or chair exercises. It is important to find something that each person enjoys and can continue with independently. A qualitative study exploring how older people participating in an evidence-based exercise intervention describing their relationship with their therapists and how this relationship might contribute to their motivation for exercise, suggests that 'Therapeutic Alliance' is an essential part of therapy and relational knowledge and competence are necessary for transferring professional knowledge in therapy. The findings are useful to therapists involved in clinical practice, especially to those working with vulnerable groups. The WHO 2020 guidelines reaffirm messages that some physical activity is better than none, that more physical activity is better for optimal health outcomes and recommend reducing sedentary behaviours. In order to successfully engage older adults, it is important to frame the message in the correct way. It has been found that gain-framed messages, ie. Messages that highlight the benefits of engaging in a particular behaviour, are significantly more likely than loss-framed messages to promote prevention behaviour. For example, the message ‘exercising regularly can help you to lose weight’ would be more effective than the message ‘not exercising regularly can make you gain weight'. Which of the following is a recommended activity for older adults quizlet?1. Older adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or do at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity.
Which of the following is a benefit of resistance training in older adults?Exercise that builds muscle endurance, or resistance training, can help older adults to preserve their independence and quality of life. It can overcome the loss of muscle mass and strength, build resilience, ease the management of chronic conditions, and reduce physical vulnerability.
What is the ACSM's recommendation for stretching exercises?The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends holding each stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. For older individuals, holding a stretch for 30 to 60 seconds is recommended for the greatest benefits.
What intensity level of aerobic exercise is considered moderate for older adults?On a 10-point scale, where sitting is 0 and working as hard as you can is 10, moderate-intensity aerobic activity is a 5 or 6.
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