Benefits of Exercise for Older Adults

by National Institute on Aging

Congratulations! You are joining an elite team of women and men who appreciate that exercise is one of the healthiest things you can do.

Think about making a one-month commitment to exercise. If you are able to increase your physical activity for 30 days, that's a good sign that you are on your way to making exercise and physical activity regular, life-long habits. Let's get started!

The notion that exercise is good for you has been around for quite a while, but until recently older adults have been left out of the picture. Today, new information is emerging from research: people of all ages and physical conditions benefit from exercise and physical activity.

Scientific studies show that staying physically active and exercising regularly can help prevent or delay many diseases and disabilities. Scientists find that even moderate exercise and physical activity can improve the health of people who are frail or who have diseases that accompany aging.

Exercise and physical activity are among the healthiest things you can do for yourself, but some older adults are reluctant to exercise. Some are afraid that exercise will be too strenuous or that physical activity will harm them. Yet, studies show that exercise is safe for people of all age groups and that older adults hurt their health far more by not exercising than by exercising.

An inactive lifestyle can cause older people to lose ground in four areas that are important for staying healthy and independent: strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance. But research suggests that exercise and physical activity can help older people maintain or partly restore these four areas.

Growing older doesn't mean people have to lose their strength or their ability to do everyday tasks. Exercise can help older adults feel better and enjoy life more, even those who think they're too old or too out of shape.

Increasing strength and endurance make it easier to climb stairs and carry groceries. Improving balance helps prevent falls. Being more flexible may speed recovery from injuries. If you make exercise a regular part of your daily routine, it will have a positive impact on your quality of life as you get older.

Quiz

1. Older people who are frail or who have age-related conditions have little to gain from exercise and from staying physically active.

FALSE is the correct answer. You can help prevent or delay some diseases and disabilities that occur more frequently with age by staying physically active and exercising regularly.

2. Older adults hurt their health far more by not exercising than by exercising.

TRUE is the correct answer. Older adults who become inactive lose ground in four areas that are important for staying healthy and independent: strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance.

3. In order to gain any health benefits from exercise, you must work out very strenuously.

FALSE is the correct answer. Studies show that even moderate exercise done regularly can yield important health benefits for people of all age groups.

4. Many older adults are reluctant to start exercising, even though it's one of the healthiest things they can do.

TRUE is the correct answer. Exercise and physical activity don't take special equipment, fancy clothes, or the ability to jog long distances. No matter what your condition, there is some type of exercise or activity you can do that will benefit you.

Safety First

If you are at high risk for any chronic diseases such as heart disease or diabetes, or if you smoke or are obese, you should check first with your doctor before becoming more physically active.

In general, men over 40 and women over 50 should check with their doctor before doing vigorous activity. Most older adults, regardless of age or condition, will do just fine in increasing their physical activity to a moderate level.

Consult your doctor if you have

• any new, undiagnosed symptom
• chest pain
• irregular, rapid, or fluttery heart beat
• severe shortness of breath

Consult your doctor if you have

• ongoing, significant, and undiagnosed weight loss
• infections, like pneumonia, accompanied by fever which can cause rapid heart beat and dehydration
• an acute blood clot
• a hernia that is causing symptoms such as pain and discomfort

Consult your doctor if you have

• foot or ankle sores that won't heal
• persistent pain or problems walking after a fall - you might have a fracture and not know it
• eye conditions such as bleeding in the retina or a detached retina. Also consult your doctor after a cataract removal or lens implant, or after laser treatment or other eye surgery.

Consult your doctor if you have

• a weakening in the wall of the heart's major outgoing blood vessel called an abdominal aortic aneurysm
• a narrowing of one of the heart's valves called critical aortic stenosis
• joint swelling.

If you have had hip repair or replacement

• check with your doctor before doing lower-body exercises.
• don't cross your legs.
• don't bend your hips farther than a 90-degree angle.
• avoid locking the joints in your legs into a strained position.

Quiz

1. Men over 40 and women over 50 should check with their doctor before doing vigorous activity.

TRUE is the correct answer. In general, men over 40 and women over 50 should check with their doctor before doing vigorous activity. Most older adults, regardless of age or condition, will do just fine in increasing their physical activity to a moderate level.

2. Once your hips are repaired or replaced, you can do any exercise that doesn't hurt.

FALSE is the correct answer. If you have had hip replacement, check with your doctor before doing lower body exercises and don't cross your legs or bend your hips past a 90-degree angle.

3. A fluttery heartbeat and shortness of breath are normal reactions to vigorous activity.

FALSE is the correct answer. A fluttery heartbeat and shortness of breath are two symptoms that indicate you should check with your doctor before exercising. People who have been inactive a long time or have these symptoms should not start out with vigorous activities. They should work up to these activities gradually.

4. You should check with your physician before beginning an exercise program if you have had eye surgery.

TRUE is the correct answer. Check with your physician before beginning an exercise program if you have had a cataract removal or lens implant, or after laser treatment or other eye surgery. You should also check if you have other eye conditions like bleeding in the retina or a detached retina.

About the Author

www.nia.nih.gov
NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people.