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Benefits of Exercise in the Elderly

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Aging and Heart Failure

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Abstract

There is an abundance of evidence supporting the claim that physical activity enhances the quality of life in both elderly men and women. These benefits extend well beyond the cardiovascular system and are not limited to those who get into the habit of exercise on a regular basis at a young age. It is apparent that physical exercise not only reduces the functional deterioration associated with ageing but also helps to reverse some of these trends in those who start an exercise program late in life. In this chapter, we have reviewed some of the physiological concepts associated with exercise training in the elderly together with some of the evidence supporting health benefits that are likely to follow in patients with common non-communicable diseases associated with ageing, such as coronary atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Ezra A. Amsterdam MD

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, TB 172, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Sacramento, CA, 95616, USA

    C. Tissa Kappagoda MBBS, PhD

Authors
  1. Ezra A. Amsterdam MD
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  2. C. Tissa Kappagoda MBBS, PhD
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Correspondence to C. Tissa Kappagoda MBBS, PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, University of Alberta and Hospitals, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    Bodh I. Jugdutt

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Amsterdam, E.A., Kappagoda, C.T. (2014). Benefits of Exercise in the Elderly. In: Jugdutt, B. (eds) Aging and Heart Failure. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0268-2_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0268-2_11

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