Physical Activity in the Aging Adult

Physical inactivity in older adults is the 4th leading cause of chronic disease and disability in the U.S. Older adults should avoid inactivity. At least some activity is better than none and older adults who participate in some kind of physical activity gain some health benefit. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommended older adults participate in at least 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity or an equivalent of moderate and vigorous combination of activity (2008). During my service hours from January to May 2012, assisting at the daycare at Uinta Home Health, I was introduced to a group of older adults that participated in some activities at the senior center, but mostly came to the center to eat lunch. The older adults at Uinta Senior Citizen Center have limited scheduled physical activities and many of the seniors do not participate in them. A well designed program that is fun, low impact and uses the ACSM recommendations will, I hope, improve satisfaction and participation with the older adults at the Senior Center.