Page 51 - Petelin, Ana, ur. 2021. Zdravje starostnikov / Health of the Elderly. Zbornik povzetkov z recenzijo / Book of Abstracts. Koper: Založba Univerze na Primorskem/University of Primorska Press
P. 51
role of physical activity in older adulthood gibanje in zdravje starejših odraslih | physical activity and health of the elderly
Davorin Marković, Neli Kocijančič, Eva Ferjančič, Andreja Kvas
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Introduction. Lack of physical activity can lead to many degenerative diseases,
weakening of basic life functions and premature aging. Life expectancy is getting
longer and physical activity can help us maintain a quality of life in older age, as
it is a protective factor of health and has an impact on both physical and mental
well-being. The purpose of this paper is to present the role of physical activity
and its benefits in older adulthood and to review guidelines and recommenda-
tions on physical activity for older adults.
Methods. Method used was review of Slovene and English professional and
scientific literature in the CINAHL, Medline, Cochrane databases and in the
Google scholar web browser, published between years 2010 and 2021. The lit-
erature was searched based on the following keywords: »older adults«, »quali-
ty of life« and »guidelines for physical activity«. The PRISMA method was used
to display decisions about usefulness of reviewed sources and eight of these
sources were selected for further analysis.
Results. Two themes were identified (1) the benefits of exercise on the health
of older adults and (2) guidelines on physical activity in the elderly. Exercise
has physiological, psychological and social benefits for older adults and it helps
maintain functional independence and enables a higher level of quality of life.
The results show a positive impact of physical fitness on quality of life in older
adults and there are also links with improved cognitive abilities and subsequent
development of dementia. At a time when whole world is facing a pandem-
ic, attention should also be paid to the impact of the restrictions on the provi-
sion of physical activity. Each individual is unique and has the best knowledge
of physical fitness, so the exercises must be adapted to the state of health and
take into account the age and sex of the individual.
Discussion and conclusions. Over the years, physical activity ceases especially
those individuals who were rarely active even in their younger years. To in-
crease physical activity in older adults, we need a change in both thinking and
behaviour, as regular and sufficient physical activity is crucial for maintaining
health, quality and independent life.
Keywords: older adults, quality of life, guidelines for physical activity
49
Davorin Marković, Neli Kocijančič, Eva Ferjančič, Andreja Kvas
University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Introduction. Lack of physical activity can lead to many degenerative diseases,
weakening of basic life functions and premature aging. Life expectancy is getting
longer and physical activity can help us maintain a quality of life in older age, as
it is a protective factor of health and has an impact on both physical and mental
well-being. The purpose of this paper is to present the role of physical activity
and its benefits in older adulthood and to review guidelines and recommenda-
tions on physical activity for older adults.
Methods. Method used was review of Slovene and English professional and
scientific literature in the CINAHL, Medline, Cochrane databases and in the
Google scholar web browser, published between years 2010 and 2021. The lit-
erature was searched based on the following keywords: »older adults«, »quali-
ty of life« and »guidelines for physical activity«. The PRISMA method was used
to display decisions about usefulness of reviewed sources and eight of these
sources were selected for further analysis.
Results. Two themes were identified (1) the benefits of exercise on the health
of older adults and (2) guidelines on physical activity in the elderly. Exercise
has physiological, psychological and social benefits for older adults and it helps
maintain functional independence and enables a higher level of quality of life.
The results show a positive impact of physical fitness on quality of life in older
adults and there are also links with improved cognitive abilities and subsequent
development of dementia. At a time when whole world is facing a pandem-
ic, attention should also be paid to the impact of the restrictions on the provi-
sion of physical activity. Each individual is unique and has the best knowledge
of physical fitness, so the exercises must be adapted to the state of health and
take into account the age and sex of the individual.
Discussion and conclusions. Over the years, physical activity ceases especially
those individuals who were rarely active even in their younger years. To in-
crease physical activity in older adults, we need a change in both thinking and
behaviour, as regular and sufficient physical activity is crucial for maintaining
health, quality and independent life.
Keywords: older adults, quality of life, guidelines for physical activity
49
