Prescribing exercise for the elderly: current research and recommendations.

The potential for regular exercise to offset the deleterious effects of aging is well established. In fact, the pronounced health benefits attributed to regular exercise, including improvements in resting blood pressure, cholesterol profile, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes mellitus, and cognitive functioning, can be achieved even in those individuals who start physical conditioning programs later in life. Yet, despite these impressive data, approximately 70% of elderly Americans are physically inactive. This hypokinetic state negatively affects not only the health status of the elderly but significantly influences healthcare costs as more Americans are attaining octogenarian status. As such, it is vitally important for all healthcare workers to actively encourage elderly individuals to maintain or, in the case of nonexercisers, start an exercise program. Such recommendations may help to decrease comorbid conditions associated with the aging process, increase functional independence, and attenuate skyrocketing healthcare costs associated with treating the growing elderly population.