By the year 2030, the number of individuals 65 years and over will reach 70 million in the United States alone. This article will help determine the extent by which exercise and physical activity can improve health, functional capacity, and a better quality of life. Current evidence clearly indicates that participation in a regular exercise program is an effective way to reduce the negative effects associated with aging. .
Factors associated with adherence are both complex and diverse. Some of these factors encompass psychological, physiological and social-environmental characteristics. Elements associated with regular adherence to an exercise program can be influenced by both individual and environmental components. Factors at the individual level include demographics, personality, skills, history, and social and perceived influences, while environmental factors reflect social environmental situations that exert an influence to the individual. Also when examining what factor's are important in the determination of the exercise adherence and the maintenance process, it is equally important to look at the variables that contribute to non-adherence.
Recent surveys indicate that differences in age and gender correlate with different exercise rates in senior citizens. The elderly have generally improved their rate of activity in the past 15 years with males being more active than females. Physical activity tends to increase slightly at retirement but begins a downward slope a few years later, reaching the lowest activity rates of the population.
Education and income have been positively correlated with regular exercise. Higher rates of exercise behavior have been correlated with increased socioeconomic standing and the frequency of exercise participation has also been related to years of education. With adults over 65 years of age, greater education may indirectly raise the awareness of health benefits and increase the subjective norms for physical activity among the middle and upper class individuals.
