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8.9: Staying Physically Active

Last updated

Oct 22, 2023
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- 8.8: Muscle System Performance - Aspects and Changes
- 8.10: Starting or Increasing Exercise

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Many age-related changes in the muscle system are caused or greatly increased by a decrease in physical activity. Conversely, many of these adverse changes can be greatly slowed or even negated by continuing to engage in regular exercise. It is also possible to delay, slow, reduce, or prevent many undesirable changes and diseases in other body systems by living a physically active lifestyle. In general and within reasonable limits, the more exercise a person gets, the greater the benefits.

Specific Effects

Many effects from maintaining a high level of physical activity are listed in Table 8.1.

Muscle Mass

Besides retaining the strength to perform both heavy and ordinary tasks, maintaining muscle mass helps stabilize body proportions. It also reduces detrimental changes in the ability of the hormone insulin to regulate blood sugar and certain metabolic activities in the body (Chapter 14). The effects of ongoing exercise on the nervous system help slow both the increase in reaction time and the decline in speed of movement.

*VO₂max

The impact of ongoing exercise on slowing the decline in *VO₂max is so great that very active elderly people have values equal to or greater than those of sedentary individuals of about age 30. However, no amount of exercise can completely stop the decrease in *VO₂max as age increases. Therefore, younger people who exercise will have values greater than those of older individuals who get in the same amount of exercise.

Overview

In considering the beneficial effects of years of physical activity, it is important to realize that these benefits are obtained only by persons who continue to lead active lives. People who are very active or athletic during youth but then become sedentary for many years lose most of the benefit they acquired in their previously active lives.

Getting regular exercise throughout life has been shown to increase life expectancy, possibly because exercise reduces the risks of certain causes of death. Exercise has not been shown to increase maximum longevity. Finally, exercise undoubtedly improves the quality of life. Long-term exercise enables an individual to participate more fully and with greater pleasure in many more life activities. Years of regular exercise also markedly reduce the risk of developing many disabling diseases. Those who exercise and still develop a disease are often less affected.

Specific Effects

Muscle Mass

*VO2max

Overview

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*VO₂max