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As people grow older, they start to slow-down and believe that it is the time to reduce activity and take it easy. Unfortunately, only 25% of those aged between 65 and 74 years old take part in regular exercise, but this is the exact opposite of what should be done.
According to the World Health Organisation, “a sedentary lifestyle is one of the 10 leading causes of death and disability”. This not only highlights the fact that exercise can increase lifespan, but it also explains that it can improve the quality of life, by reducing the incidences of injury and disability.
Regular exercise can reduce the risk of falling. As the body slows down and gets used to a less reactive lifestyle, it begins to forget stimuli which is important for balance and proprioception, and once this system is impacted, the likelihood of breaking a bone increases (partly because bone density also decreases without optimal amounts of activity).
The musculoskeletal system is not the only system which is damaged without exercise. The cardiovascular system also becomes impaired, and even small changes in everyday activities, like walking down the road, or going for a swim, can increase the blood flow to the heart and improve it’s efficiency.
According to a study (in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease), it was found that those who participated in some form of regular exercise were less likely to suffer/ develop the disease compared to those who lived a sedentary lifestyle.
Improvements in mental, emotional, psychological and social well-being is an often-found association with regular exercise which challenges the body sufficiently, and which improves V02 Max and/ or Muscular Strength (and again, this can be as small as a swim in the leisure pool or a brisk walk to the end of the road).
If an older adult cannot take part in any forms of exercise due to a pre-existing condition, it is recommended to be as active as can be allowed. Adapt to what they are living with, and make the most of the space around them.
Looking the other way, inactivity can result in an increase in body fat percentage and a decline in lean body mass (muscle mass). This is to be avoided to an extent, you have to be able to find the right balance between body fat, which acts as protection in some circumstances, and lean mass. Move too far down the spectrum and they may suffer from Sarcopenia, described as “low muscle mass in combination with low muscle strength and/ or low physical performance”.
If you have any more information to help the understanding of exercise within the elderly population, please do get in touch. I will be more than happy to update the post and provide credit.
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