The elderly person with Down syndrome: the benefits of an active life

Abstract

Ageing is a complex phenomenon and is the result of a continuing interplay of both genetic and environmental factors, so that although there are common traits with respect to the age of onset of manifestations of the ageing processes, the rate of ageing varies considerably between individuals. To complicate the picture of ageing, one of the environmental factors which causes similar adaptations to ‘ageing’ per se is a decreasing level of physical activity. Levels of physical activity often decline with age but this may be caused in part by a lack of opportunity to participate in suitable leisure activities.