Older Adults and Physical Activity
The Many Benefits of Physical Activity in Older Adults
● Improve quality of life
● Decrease morbidity and
● Decreased obesity
● Decreased anxiety and
depression
● Improve feeling of
well-being
● Improve functional
independence
● Improve performance of
work, recreational, and
sports activities
● Reduction in risk of falls
● Protection from various noncommunicable diseases including stroke, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular illnesses, etc..
● Reduce overall percentage of body fat
● Increased overall muscle mass
What Does Research Show About Aging and Inactivity ● Participation in leisure-time activity:
○ 18-24 years old = 69%
○ 65-74 years old = 49%
○ 75+ years old = 35%
● Participation in moderate physical activity:
○ 18-24 years old = 36%
○ 65-74 years old = 31%
○ 75+ years old = 23%
● Participation in flexibility exercises:
○ 18-24 years old = 39%
○ 65-74 years old = 22%
○ 75+ years old = 21%
● Participation in strengthening exercises:
○ 18-24 years old = 30%
○ 65-74 years old = 11%
○ 75+ years old = 8%
● Exercise can reduce risk of falls by 21%
Common Causes of Inactivity
● Accidental Inactivity
○ May be induced bedrest or acute illnesses
● Environmental Factors
○ Use of bed rails, restraints, improper chair/bed height, stairs, doors, etc… ○ Community and neighborhood accessibility and safety
○ Social Isolation
○ Lack of Assistance
● Chronic Inactivity
○ May be induced by sedentary lifestyle or chronic diseases
How Can We Help At ProTailored?
● We can work with you on adopting healthy behavior modifications ● We can discuss lifestyle changes to allow you to maintain function and independence for the upcoming weeks, months, years, etc..
● We can work with you on improving your muscular strength, balance, functional endurance, walking speed, balance and ability to dual task safely. ● We can help with promoting proper activity modifications, if needed ● We can work with you on creating an individualized exercise program to address your specific physical needs
We would LOVE to help! For more information, reach out to one of our Fort Wayne Physical Therapy clinics at ProTailored Physical Therapy and call us at (260)905-2129!
Resources
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6304477/ 2. Healthy People 2010, US Dept. HHS