Exercise and Aging

Excerpt

Health practices that offer the possibility of slowing age-related decline are attractive to an aging society. In the mid-20th century, most medical literature on the health effects of exercise focused on the relationship to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality (1, 2). Of equal importance is the potential for regular exercise to preserve function and prolong active life expectancy (3), not just life expectancy.

Aging is associated with structural changes and reduced function in cells and tissues of all organ systems. The functional limits of aerobic metabolism and the cardiovascular system can be defined by the maximum oxygen consumption (VO₂max) (4). In