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Introduction
Life expectancy has increased, and the main concern that follows this development is whether the extra years entail periods of health-related high quality of life for the old people. Physical movements and exercises are a great method for maintaining physical fitness and wellness. Physical exercise refers to any kind of bodily movement initiated by the skeletal muscles, resulting in energy expenditure. Examples of physical activities are walking, jogging, working out, swimming, or cardio exercises. Physical activities among the old people can be analyzed using the social-ecological framework. The model conceptualizes health by focusing on factors that might affect it, such as social, mental, and physical well-being. Social-ecological frameworks can analyze whether physical activities contribute to their social, physical, and health well-being. Regular physical activity has long-term positive effects on people’s aging process, helping them maintain their balancing abilities. At the same time, medical treatment programs based on exercising allow older adults to recover better, regain their physical abilities, and prevent the risk of falls.
Regular Physical Activity Promotes Healthy Ageing
Physical Activity Helps in the Prevention of Diseases
Healthy aging refers to a person’s ability to lead a social life free from disability or illness. Healthy aging only happens to people who engage actively in activities that improve their general well-being and physical health (Benetos et al., 2019). About one in every five adults are physically active or engage in activities with lower activity levels than those recommended by WHO. Physical activities protect old people from contracting non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, stroke, and cardiovascular diseases (Callow et al., 2020). Physical activities also help improve mental health and also in delaying dementia, and improve the general well-being and quality of life.
Old people need physical exercises more than the young people do. Studies indicate that majority of the old people have a lower physical function than the young population (Chan et al., 2019). Old people have a high BMI, and weak muscles cause this, high fats, low metabolic function, reduced cardiorespiratory, and low density of bone mineral. Studies have also shown that the leg muscles of old people have about 30-50% fewer motor neurons than those of young people (Dipietro et al., 2019). This depicts that the remodeling of the motor unit is a normal part of the aging process. It is impossible to replace the losses of muscle fiber and motor neurons during old age. However, physical activities can improve the function and structure of musculoskeletal systems and metabolic and cardiorespiratory systems.
Some people have great neuronal health, metabolic, cardiorespiratory systems, and great bones, even at old age. This group of people is known as the master athletes because they demonstrate great physical functionality for their age (Gopinath et al., 2018). However, it is essential to note that the physiological systems decline in old people, despite being master athletes. The gradual decline in the physical function is depicted by difficulties in maintaining balance, struggling to rise from a seated position, and slower walking. One way of assessing the physical function in old age is the 6-minute walk and 30 seconds chair-rise test.
Generally, an old person who is physically active ages healthily. A person with regular physical activities has a strong neuromuscular system that coordinates their bodily movements. This group of people also has a healthy cardiopulmonary system that distributes nutrients and oxygen effectively (Langhammer et al., 2018). They also have an efficient metabolic process that regulates fatty acid and glucose metabolism and actively increases the general physical capability and aerobic power. All these processes eventually rectify the trajectory towards frailty. Lack of physical activities causes major diseases in old people and poor physiological fitness (Lin et al., 2020). Most inactive old people become obese and indulge in unhealthy practices such as drinking excess alcohol and smoking.
People older than 50 years have a higher death risk than young people, and the risk is higher for those who do not participate in any kind of physical activity. People who have early retirements are at risk of having lesser physical activities compared to those who work until their seventies. Studies have shown that old people who are physically active with a significant physiological fitness have a lower death risk (Martinez-Velilla et al., 2019). Maintenance of physical activities from middle age to older age is related to healthy aging.
Old people should make an effort to engage in any type of physical activity because it will help in reducing the waist circumference, reducing the risk of cholesterol and blood pressure. WHO recommends activities such as strength exercises and aerobic exercises for old people (Piercy et al., 2018). If one cannot follow the stated guidelines, they should be as active as their conditions and abilities allow. In case an old person falls, there is a high likelihood that they will suffer from a fracture. The risk of fracture after a fall is also lower for a physically activity person.
Physical Activities Reduce the Risk of Stress among Old People
Ignoring depression, anxiety, and stress can be an issue for a person’s health. Old people are at risk of developing mental health illnesses because of constantly stressing over various things. Stress affects both the emotional and physical aspects of a human being. When a person goes through stress and mental strain, excess toxins accumulate in their bodies. Physical activity can help get rid of these toxins and eventually reduce stress (Piercy et al., 2018). Scientists have stated that physical activities produce serotonin, a hormone that helps uplift a person’s moods (Powell et al., 2018). Stress among old people can result in unhealthy eating habits and idleness. These habits eventually result in diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, which are risky for an old person to have.
Old people need to exercise regularly for the sake of their mental health. Regular exercise helps people feel less stressed because it makes them forget about their daily worries. Aerobic exercises are key for the mind, heart, and general well-being (Sellami et al., 2018). Physical activities have the impact of relaxing, exhilarating, dissipating stress, countering depression, and providing stimulation and calmness. These effects have been seen in athletes and clinical trials that used exercise as the main way of treating clinical depression and anxiety disorders (Thomas et al., 2019). The mental benefits of physical activities have a neurochemical basis. These activities reduce the number of hormones that stress the body, such as cortisol and adrenaline. Physical activities also stimulate the body to produce endorphins. These chemicals are present in the brain and act as mood elevators and natural painkillers (Weyh et al., 2020). Endorphins are responsible for optimism, feelings of relaxation, and the “runner’s high” that a person feels after exercising.
Behavioral factors also play a role in increasing the emotional benefits of physical activities. Body image is important to everyone, despite their age. When an old person begins to exercise and notice a change in their physical appearance, such as a shrink in their waistline, their stamina increases, improving their self-esteem (Zhang & Chen, 2019). A person will feel that they are in control of their bodies, increasing their self-confidence. This renewed energy and vigor will help a person succeed in various tasks and reduce their stress. A person’s attention will shift from being stressed to focusing on their new bodies (Benetos et al., 2019). These changes will help the old person positively, and they will manage to focus on important aspects of their lives. This determination is important because the person will not feel useless. Most old people become stressed because, after retirement, they feel as though they are useless members of society.
Most physical activities entail engagement with other people. Activities such as swimming, jogging, walking, and exercising in the gym allow people to interact with other people. The therapeutic effect of exercises goes far beyond just the physical aspect (Callow et al., 2020). Physical activities are recreation, and talking with other people distracts a person from their daily worries (Chan et al., 2019). Making friends and building networks is important for the old person’s mental health, and it eradicates the feeling of loneliness. Additionally, making friends will help the old person talk about their feelings, and by doing so, they will gain emotional support.
Many old people have stress symptoms, but only a few can identify them and link them to stress. Some of the mental symptoms of stress include panic, hostility, anger, insomnia, restlessness, foreboding, and sensations of dread (Dipietro et al., 2019). Stress also results in physical symptoms such as back pain, neck pain, headaches, taut facial expressions, and fidgetiness. Some people develop dry mouths and have an unquenchable thirst. Other people feel a lump in their throat that makes it hard to swallow (Gopianth et al., 2018). Some old people might be stressed to the extent that they clench their jaw muscles, resulting in headaches and jaw pains. Majority of old people who are stressed also complain about tight chest muscles, which makes it hard to breathe. All the symptoms caused by stress are distressing (Langhammer et al., 2018). The root cause of stress is emotional, and one can deal with it by reducing the problems that cause stress. This move is not easy, so old people should take physical activities seriously.
General Aims of Physical Activity Programs
Physical activities should be part of the primary care program for old people. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommends that physical activities should be the primary care for elderly people (Martinez-Velilla et al., 2019). The problem comes in finding the right way to encourage the old people to participate in physical activities. Previous studies have indicated that a one-size-fits-all program is not suitable (Piercy et al., 2018). Instead, the intensity and frequency of the activities should be tailored to meet the physical capability and exercise experience. Physical activities should focus on a variety of outcomes besides weight loss, such as improving mobility and health among old people (Piercy et al., 2018). These two outcomes can happen independently since they do not depend on BMI changes. Simple activities such as walking about six days a week reduce the risk of mobility impairments by about 60% (Sellami et al., 2018). This, in turn, increases a person’s lifespan by about five years and reduces the risk of suffering from any kind of disability for two years.
High-intensity activities are not suitable for old people unless one is a master athlete. However, old people should participate in activities that increase their strength and size of limb muscles (Thomas et al., 2019). These activities help reduce or eliminate the impacts of sarcopenia, which refers to the loss of muscle mass due to aging. By using about 50% of the maximal strength, moderate strength training helps increase the power, strength, and muscle size even in old people (Weyh et al., 2020). These activities are important because low power and muscle mass cause mobility impairments in old people.
Intensity exercises are dose-responsive, meaning that the higher the intensity, the greater the muscle gains, power, and strength. Ideally, increased power and strength should improve stair negotiation, chair rising, and walking. However, various studies have failed to confirm this assumption. Many resistance exercises target the upper body and thigh muscles, and therefore, they cannot be used to gauge the overall body mobility. For this reason, old people need to exercise their calf muscles, also known as the ankle plantar flexors, because losing power in this group of muscles results in slower walking speeds (Benetos et al., 2019). Increased power training improves mobility and balance, and it should be included in the exercise programs for old people.
Frail old people should include moderate functional training and leg-strengthening exercises. Some functional activities that can be helpful to them include game-like activities, balancing exercises, chair rising, and walking, about three times a week, with each session lasting for about 50 minutes (Callow et al., 2020). This recommendation is in connection with the fact that endurance training and combined resistance might be more effective than the above activities. Scholars have revealed that for old people aged between 70 to 90 years who have a high risk of disability and average deficits, a one-year program that combines endurance and resistance training can help in improving mobility (Dipietro et al., 2019). The improvement gained from this program is more significant than the healthy aging educational program. Therefore, old people should make an effort to engage more with endurance and resistance training because it helps in their overall well-being.
Risks and Adverse Events
Physical activities are safe for old people, and they do not require a go-ahead from their doctors before engaging in them or increasing the levels of any kind of activity. However, it is essential to note that some cardiovascular risks such as myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, or high blood pressure are major concerns (Gopinath et al., 2018). Therefore, any old person who suffers from any of them should assess themselves using a brief questionnaire before taking up any exercise. Alternatively, they might go to a doctor who will assess them and advise them on the recommended intensity of physical activities (Langhammer et al., 2018). Most doctors advise this group of old people to engage in activities with average intensity, and they should be cautious before increasing the intensity. These old people should only increase activity intensity once every four weeks.
Exercises intended to improve balance do not have any adverse events or risks. Activities that old people should be cautious of before engaging are the falls-prevention classes. These exercises increase the risk of swollen joints and muscle soreness, especially for people who have not been active for a large part of their lives (Lin et al., 2020). Frail old people risk increased falls immediately after participating in the falls prevention classes. However, there is no substantial evidence linking these exercises to serious cardiovascular events, injuries, or any other serious effect (Martinez-Velilla et al., 2019). On the contrary, these activities that aim to improve balance have many benefits and do not have any risks harmful to an individual.
Resistance training does not have any adverse effect on old people. Studies have indicated the only risks that have been recorded resulting from resistance training are minor musculoskeletal problems such as sprains, bruises, and joint pains (Piercy et al., 2018). Less common risks are cardiovascular events, which only occur in people with underlying conditions. A high risk only occurs when an old person with underlying health conditions such as high blood pressure or cardiovascular problems takes part in high-intensity training (Piercy et al., 2018). Aerobic exercises with low to average intensity are low risk for old people. High intense aerobic activities also have a low risk for elderly people. Studies have found that old people who participate in average aerobic activities have a lower risk of adverse events than old people who are not involved in any kind of physical activity (Powell et al., 2018). However, mixed balancing, resistance, and aerobic exercises have a higher possibility of suffering from adverse events than the health education program.
Psychological, Demographic, and Social Considerations
Exercise habits are different depending on the disability, ethnicity, age, gender, and income of a person. Elderly people who have a higher socio-economic position have a higher likelihood of maintaining high physical activity (Sellami et al., 2018). The majority of the old people who belong to lower socio-economic positions are inactive. These findings depict a clear relationship between demographic conditions and physical activities among old people. Frailty and physical disability increase significantly after retirement, especially for people with underlying health conditions (Thomas et al., 2019). There exists a strong relationship between socio-economic positions and healthy aging. Old people from affluent backgrounds are more likely to age healthily than their age mates from poorer backgrounds (Weyh et al., 2020). Therefore, people from affluent backgrounds have higher mortality rates than poor communities. Some factors that increase the motivation of old people to participate in physical activities include the emotional, mental, social, and health benefits that result from being active (Zhang & Chen, 2019). Limiting factors include language barriers, cultural norms, and exercise clothing that are deemed inappropriate. When people age, they are more interested in retaining their health capacities than improving their health (Benetos et al., 2019). For this reason, the physical activity programs need to reassure the old people that they will not suffer from any form of injuries or harm.
Conclusion
Regular physical activities are safe for both the frail and healthy adults, and they should include in their daily lives. Physical activities reduce the risks of developing major metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, muscular weakness, osteoporosis, cognitive impairments, falls, and obesity. Any kind of physical activity, whether low or high intensity, has an overall benefit on a person’s body. An example of a low-intensity exercise is walking, and that of high intensity is resistance exercise. Despite its many benefits, physical activities remain low amongst older adults, especially those living in poor communities or with financial constraints. Clinicians, friends, and families should encourage old people to participate in physical exercises for their general well-being.
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