Why Exercise Is Essential

Exercise

We all hope to spend a prosperous old age of retirement and relaxation in good health. But this doesn't - and shouldn't - mean putting our feet up for good. Exercise is important at any age, but encouraging and assisting older Americans in their quest to become or remain active involves special challenges.

Barriers to Movement

"We have learned that so many things can interrupt physical activity at this age range," says Brian Martinson, Ph.D., a researcher at the HealthPartners Research Foundation who studies aging and health. "We started out thinking that it would be medical events and health declines, but what we have seen just as much of is social life, family life and work life interrupting and causing [older people] problems with being physically active."

Despite the distractions, people who are sedentary in late middle age may be poised to become more active, according to Martinson. "If you can get people to be active at this time, empty nesters with a little more time to focus on taking care of themselves, the habits they establish in their 50s and 60s can carry them into their 80s or 90s," he says.

A Little Encouragement

Research shows that encouragement - in the form of counseling, expanded exercise programs and even health-plan financial incentives - can play a powerful part in improving the health of older adults. "There is an appetite out there for just a little bit of assistance for activity," Martinson says.

The Facts:

• Fewer than 40 percent of men and 30 percent of women age 65 and older met the government-recommended levels of weekly physical activity in 2000.

• Low-income older adults are less likely than their peers to engage in physical activity, with 40 percent reporting no activity within the past month.

• Walking was the most common physical activity reported in a 2000 survey of older Americans, followed by gardening, bicycling, home exercises and golf.

• A Swedish study of 3,206 individuals age 65 and older found that by the end of the 12-year study, those who exercised at least once a week reduced their risk of death by 40 percent.

• Exercising three times a week or more on a regular basis could delay the onset of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, according to a 2006 analysis of adults over age 65.

• Americans age 55 and older say "lack of motivation" is the main barrier keeping them from becoming more physically active, according to a 2005 survey.

• In a recent study of 345 married couples age 70 to 79, men who were highly physically active were three times more likely than men with low activity levels to have a highly physically active spouse.

• In a 2003 study, phone calls and mailed reminders helped older women add an extra 37 minutes of exercise to their weekly routines. Women who participated in the study but did not receive reminders increased their weekly exercise by only 12 minutes.

• A recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that existing physical activity programs for older adults only meet half the demand for such programs, with significant gaps in strength training programs and programs in minority communities.