Physical activity in older people: a systematic review

Abstract

BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) in older people is critically important in the prevention of disease, maintenance of independence and improvement of quality of life. Little is known about the physical activity of the older adults or their compliance with current physical activity guidelines.MethodsA systematic literature search of the published literature was conducted. Included were published reports of original research that independently reported: the PA level of non-institutional older adults (aged 60 years and over); and the proportion of older adults in the different samples who met PA recommendations or guidelines. The review was restricted to studies published since 2000 to provide a current picture of older adults’ PA levels.ResultsFifty three papers were included in the review. The percentage of older adults meeting recommended physical activity ranged from 2.4 – 83.0% across the studies. Definitions of “recommended” physical activity in older adults varied across the studies as did approaches to measurement which posed methodological challenges to data analysis. Older age groups were less likely than the reference group to be regularly active, and women were less likely than men to achieve regular physical activity, especially leisure time physical activity, when measured by both subjective and objective criteria.ConclusionThe review highlights the need for studies which recruit representative random samples of community based older people and employ validated measurement methods consistently to enable comparison of PA levels over time and between countries.

Adherence to physical activity guidelines and functional fitness of elderly women, using objective measurement

“…Analysis of world literature indicates that comparing the percentages of people engaging in health-enhancing physical activity is difficult due to the multiplicity of methods of assessment and recommendations (recommendations), according to which the results are interpreted. Sun and Norman [16], by making a meta-analysis during 2001-2011 concerning the implementation of the recommendations of physical activity by persons over 60 years of age, that the criteria for health-promoting interests ranged in extreme cases from 2.4 -83%.…”

Handgrip strength and physical activity in frail elderly

“…Scientific literature has pointed to the benefits that physical activity practice provides to the elderly, being important in disease prevention, maintenance of independence and improving quality of life (11)(12) . Frailty is one of the most important reasons to prescribe physical exercise, as this is considered a protective factor against various components of the condition being studied (5) .…”

Changes in physical activity and cognitive decline in older adults living in the community

“…Physical activity, even in late life, is known to change, with a number of older people remaining active or increasing their levels of activity over time (Martinson et al 2003;Xue et al 2012). A systematic review of the global trends in physical activity in the older population found an increasing participation in leisure-time physical activity among developed countries (Sun et al 2013). Examining whether a maintained or increased physical activity over time is associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline would have important clinical and public health implications for promoting an active lifestyle for older people.…”