Healthy Ageing - Benefits of Physical Activity

Running head: HEALTHY AGEING
HEALTHY AGEING
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

HEALTHY AGEING1
This study will focus on the benefits of physical activity for resistance training and
ageing among the older population. The case study revolves around the old retried man,
Frederic Arum, 78 years old, a widower. He was a retired university professor who was quite
active in his older days. Recently he was experiencing unreliable memory and joint pain,
which was considered as the principle signs of ageing and he therefore required an immediate
attention to enhance his physical activity. The aim of the study is to identify the benefits of
physical training and exercise that will help him to reduce the symptoms of ageing. Healthy
ageing is defined as the course of development and retaining the functional and physical
capability which would enable wellbeing among the older population (Kendig, 2017). Critical
analysis of four different articles will be conducted in this study that will assist in providing
the benefits of physical training and exercise among the older population for healthy ageing.
Physical training and exercise is considered as the most promising intervention for
preventing or delaying the cognitive decline among the individuals who are 50 years or older.
According to Northey et al. (2018), the cognitive capability of the older adults is affected
drastically and is often considered as the sign of ageing. The researcher had highlighted that
physical exercise intervention is most effective for improving the intellectual functions
among the older adults. Physical exercise intervention such as resistance training, tai chi,
aerobic training and multicomponent training are the most beneficial physical; exercise that
will aid in improving the cognitive function of the older people. According to the
Australian’s Physical Activity and Sedentary behaviour Guidelines, the older adults who
effectively engage in the regular physical activities such as strength training (ST), moderate-
to-vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) and less amount of time consumed in
sedentary behaviour (SB) are more healthy and active in their older age as compared to the
individuals who are not involved in physical training and exercise (Department of Health,
2019).

HEALTHY AGEING2
According to Fisher et al. (2017), physical resistance training has a beneficial and
healthy effect on the older people as it is directly related to enhanced muscle mass, muscular
strength and decreased mortality factors. The researcher had opted to consider effective
resistance training as a medicine that will aid in improving or preventing the onset of natural
ageing. Whereas, Daskalopoulou et al. (2017), stated that effective physical activity has the
direct effect on the process of ageing and can help the individual to achieve a healthy ageing
especially in high-income areas. The researcher had stated that the overall relation of physical
exercise and healthy ageing is associated with different confounding factors in middle and
low income areas. The effect of physical training is not only responsible for enhancing
muscle strength but also influence the cognitive function of the individual. Li et al. (2018),
stated that resistance training is an effective intervention that will aim to delay or prevent
cognitive deterioration among the older adults. The researcher highlighted that resistance
training has no significant role in improving the attention and memory of the individual. The
triweekly resistance training is more beneficial for improving the cognitive function as
compared to the biweekly training. According to Vasiliadis & Bélanger (2018), the socio-
economic status of the individual affects their health related quality of life (HR-QOL) that
eventually hamper their physical activity to attain healthy ageing. Hence, the researcher had
completely highlighted a different perspective as compared to the other researchers by
focusing on the strategies to mediate psycho-social barriers linked with physical exercise
among older population. Hence, based on the key themes extracted from the different
research articles, it was evident that Frederic should take part in different rent physical
training and exercise that will directly influence his ageing process and also improve his
cognitive function.
The common relationship relating to the concept of physical exercise and healthy
ageing was evident from the research articles, which would be beneficial for Frederic to