Chapter 12Healthy Aging

Learning Objectives

• Learn the basic demographic facts about older people now and in the future.• Develop an understanding of the effects

of aging.• Learn the manner in which older people respond to physical activity.• Develop an understanding of the lifelong effects of a healthy lifestyle on the aging process and the health of older people.

The Elderly Population

• Older person: 65+ years

• Very old: 85+ years

• Males: 74 years

• Longevity: Average of 77 years in the U.S.

Females: 80 years

The Number of Older People

The lifestyle behaviors you follow now and throughout your life will greatly affect your health and need for medical services during your later years.

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Changes in Functional Capacity

The Effects of Aging

• Decreased sensations—taste, smell, vision, hearing

• Decreased mental ability—memory, judgment, speech

• Decreased organ function—digestive system, urinary tract, liver, kidneys

(continued)

The Effects of Aging

• Decreased bone and muscle mass— lean body weight, bone mineral content (osteoporosis)

• Decreased physical fitness—health- related fitness, reaction time, movement

time, coordination, balance

Health and Lifestyle Effects

• Decreased in the activities of daily living (ADLs)

• Increase in the rates of chronic diseases

Over 50% of people between ages 65 and 84 report having difficulty with the necessary tasks of daily life. That percentage increases for those 85 and over. While aging is a natural process, you do have some control over it through the lifestyle you choose.

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Improvements in Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Improvements in Musculoskeletal Fitness

The Effects of Lifelong Physical Activity

Exercise training that establishes an appropriate overload with suitable frequency, intensity, and duration for older people will produce physiological and physical adaptations similar to ones observed in younger people.

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The Health Continuum