Physical activity in older people – Case studies of how to make change happen

Abstract

Enhancing physical activity (PA) is recognized as a powerful intervention for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases and disability in older people. Furthermore, there is an agreement that increased PA in daily life is a key determinant of active and healthy ageing and should be recommended for frail and sedentary older people. Unfortunately, relatively few older people engage in regular PA or stay active in the long term. This article summarizes and discusses PA recommendations for older adults without focussing on specific diseases, presents the main barriers and facilitators for increasing PA levels, and considers the implementation of these recommendations on the basis of the existing evidence. Finally, we provide case studies of PA programmes for older people that were successfully implemented and highlight the current lessons learned.