Physical activity and aging
About half of the physical decline associated with ageing may be due to a lack of physical activity. Without regular exercise, aging people can experience a range of health problems including reduced muscle mass, strength, physical endurance, more body fat, reduced muscle mass, lowered muscle strength, lowered maximal aerobic capacity, and decreased bone density in elderly adults. Exercise is a requirement to the aging and, one may decide to getting aerobic activity every week, walking, dancing, use resistance bands to keep muscles healthy, doing balance exercises to keep from falling, warming up and cooling down and stretch every day to maintain your flexibility.
Exercise improves strength and flexibility. Muscular strength helps to maintain balance in the body, reducing stress hormones and body fat mass, which help to foster cardiovascular health. Stronger muscles also reduce falling risks and keep seniors more independent on a day-to-day basis. Which also help improve balance and coordination. Stretching your muscles and joints also leads to a more excellent range of motion, improved balance, and increased flexibility. Physical fitness will enhance anything that raises the heart rate. Therefore increasing blood flow to the heart and boost your overall health. It increases the strength of bones and, reduces the risk of developing fractures the helps reduce stress, helps us sleep better, and it improves our mental health.
In conclusion, regular exercise has shown to provide a myriad of benefits in aging people. The more often a person is physically active, the better their physical capability, this is due to adaptations of physiological systems, within the neuromuscular system to coordinate movements, the cardiopulmonary system to more effectively distribute oxygen and nutrients around the body, and metabolic processes mainly those regulating glucose and fatty acid metabolism, which collectively increase overall aerobic power and physical capability. Thus, the trajectory towards frailty is directly modifiable. The focus of physical activity should be on improving muscle strength, general flexibility, and cardiovascular exercise. Therefore, it is appropriate to perceive any physical activity as a medical prescription for the aging population.
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