September/2006
Evidence suggests that regular physical activity provides substantial health benefits, reducing the risk of many chronic diseases. Physical activity is associated with reduced medical costs, especially for women, and these cost reductions become more significant with increasing age. Current recommendations encourage activity on most or all days of the week, but only 31 percent of persons 65 to 74 years of age report regularly engaging in moderate physical activity for 20 minutes or more three days a week; this rate drops to 20 percent by 75 years of age.. Research has consistently shown that older adults who remain or become active have a significantly decreased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality compared with their sedentary counterparts.