In addition to aerobics, exercise regimens need to include resistance training, static and dynamic balance exercises, and stretching to maintain flexibility. “Sedentary people lose 20%–40% of their muscle mass, or about 6% a decade past age 20. However, walking and running don't address this, and that's why strength-building resistance training is so important as we age,” Dr. Unwin said.
With a regular workout program, a sedentary older adult can increase his or her strength anywhere from 40% to 150%, “and that can mean the difference between walking to the mailbox and going up and down stairs, or going directly to assisted living … or to a nursing home,” he said.
It's important that the planned exercise routine be based on the participant's self-perceived level of exertion, rather than on an arbitrarily set regimen. “If we can get our patients to maintain their strength as well as their aerobic capacity, we'll be intervening on these geriatric syndromes of falls, frailty, sarcopenia, and loss of function,” he said.
Being physically active and fit can help to reduce the risk of disease, irrespective of one's body mass index. Lynda Banzi/Elsevier Global Medical News