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Exercise has proven benefi ts for older people. It reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, colon cancer, and breast cancer. It also decreases the risk of falls and fall-related injuries.
encouraging wellness 19
Like the rest of us, older people may know that exercise is good for their health, but they may not have the motivation or encouragement to do it. You can guide your patients by asking about their daily activities and whether they engage in any kind of regular exercise or physical activity.
There are several ways to encourage older patients to exercise: l Whenever appropriate, let them know that regular physical activity—
including endurance, muscle-strengthening, balance, and flexibility exercises—is essential for healthy aging.
l Help patients set realistic goals and develop an exercise plan.
l Write an exercise prescription, and make it specific, including type, frequency, intensity, and time; follow up to check progress and re-evaluate goals over time.
l Refer patients to community resources, such as mall-walking groups and senior center fitness classes.
l Tell them about Go4LifeTM, NIA’s exercise and physical activity campaign.
It has exercises, motivational tips, and free materials to help older adults start exercising and keep going. Check out www.nia.nih.gov/Go4Life.
Too Old to Exercise? Studies Say ‘No!’
l Together, exercise and lifestyle changes such as becoming more active and healthy eating reduce the risk of diabetes in high-risk older people. In one study, lifestyle changes led to a 71 percent decrease in diabetes among people 60 and older.
l In another study, moderate exercise was effective at reducing stress and sleep problems in older women caring for a family member with dementia.
l Older people who exercise moderately are able to fall asleep quickly, sleep for longer periods, and get better quality of sleep.
l Researchers also found that exercise, which can improve balance, reduced falls among older people by 33 percent.
l Walking and strength-building exercises by people with knee osteoarthritis help reduce pain and maintain function and quality of life.