PHYSICAL EXERCISE AND THE ELDERLY

This research examines nursing information related to the importance of physical exercise for persons aged 65 years old and older. The target group among the population of persons 65 years old and older is comprised of ambulatory persons residing on an independent basis. The target group is further defined as predominantly middle-class with convenient access to retail shopping within an urban area with a total population approximating 40,000. Most people included in the target group are concerned about their own personal health, and desire to live life to the fullest. Members of the target group are able to join organized fitness programs.

A YMCA located in the urban area that is home to the target group offers physical fitness facilities and programs for elderly persons. Persons aged 60 years old and older are eligible for reduced activity and use rates at the YMCA. A senior citizens center located in the community also offers a physical exercise class. Additionally, aerobic classes and other physical fitness facilities and programs are available at privately owned and operated health clubs located within the community.

Most of the people included in the target group suffer to some extent from arthritis. Additionally, a large proportion of these people, mostly women, are afflicted to some degree with osteoporosis. Most of the members of the target group walk regularly, but do not engage in any other form of exercise. Rather than b

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r, the physical abilities of elderly persons will deteriorate. In the wake of such deterioration, the risk for falling and injury increases dramatically among elderly persons. A fall for an older person is more than an injury, because it frequently leads to a loss of independence (Shumway-Cook and Gruber, 1994, pp. 1-10) Regular Physical Exercise and Cardiovascular Status Diseases most frequently affecting the elderly population are heart and circulatory problems, cancers, diabetes, pneumonia, and arthritis (Sabin, 1993, pp. 97-114). The leading cause of death among this population group are the diseases of the heart and circulatory group. Regular physical exercise has been found to lead to improved blood pressure levels among persons aged 60 years old to 79 years old (Braith, Pollock, Lowenthal, Graves, and Limarcher, 1994, pp. 1124-1128). Undesirable changes in cardiac behavior among elderly persons can be slowed by regular physical exercise (Lowenthal, Kirschner, Scarpace, Pollock, and Graves, 1994, pp. S5-S12). Regular Physical Exercise and Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a reduction of the total mass of bone, with the remaining bone being fragile or brittle. Osteo refers to bone, while porosis indicates porosity. Symptom

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