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Principles of Physical Activity Promotion Among Older People

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The Palgrave Handbook of Ageing and Physical Activity Promotion

Abstract

Physical activity is key to promotion of health into older age. Older adult responses to exercise have been shown to be similar to younger adults, and exercise at high intensities has been shown to be safe for adults into their ninth decade. The variables manipulated in the prescription of exercise are frequency, intensity, type, time, and program duration. Ten minutes a day of physical activity has been associated with reductions in all-cause mortality. Frail older adults can benefit from practice of functional activities until they are able to reach the threshold of ten minutes of continuous activity. Further research is required to investigate how older adults recover from exercise and minimum effective thresholds of some types of physical activity such as balance and flexibility training.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Allied Health Research Unit, Monash Health, and Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Cheltenham, VIC, Australia

    Melanie K. Farlie & Terry P. Haines

  2. US Department of Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    David A. Ganz

Authors
  1. Melanie K. Farlie
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  2. David A. Ganz
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  3. Terry P. Haines
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole, United Kingdom

    Samuel R. Nyman

  2. Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Anna Barker

  3. Department of Physiotherapy, Monash University, Frankston, Victoria, Australia

    Terry Haines

  4. School of Health Sciences, City, University of London, London, United Kingdom

    Khim Horton

  5. Centre for Innovative Ageing, Swansea University, Swansea, United Kingdom

    Charles Musselwhite

  6. Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Geeske Peeters

  7. College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University, Uxbridge, United Kingdom

    Christina R. Victor

  8. Institute of Psychogerontology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Nuremberg, Germany

    Julia Katharina Wolff

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Farlie, M.K., Ganz, D.A., Haines, T.P. (2018). Principles of Physical Activity Promotion Among Older People. In: Nyman, S., et al. The Palgrave Handbook of Ageing and Physical Activity Promotion. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71291-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71291-8_5

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