Encouraging Older Adults: Article Analysis

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The aging process is strongly influenced by the amount of regular physical activity an individual participates in. Particularly in older adults, regular physical activity can lead to serious health benefits such as improved mental health, physical ability, and even a delay in the age of mortality. An important aspect of being an older adult is feeling independent. Using regular exercise, even something as simple as walking up and down the hallway of a hospital floor, will not only make the individual feel better as a whole, but will demonstrate to a nurse that this patient has the ability to perform several physical tasks on their own, as well. The article, “Facilitating Successful Again: Encouraging Older Adults to Be Physically Active” …show more content…
It helps to maintain the holistic aspect of well-being. A “healthy” individual is deemed to be strong in the areas of mental health, physical health, and social health. In addition, physical activity can help to prevent serious illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, certain cancers and type 2 diabetes. If there is already a disease present, physical activity can still help to manage the effects of the disease as at the individual grows older. In simpler terms, the quality of the older individuals life will be increased as they are able to perform more task on their own. It is important for a nurse to inform their older adult patients of this because these are the patients that are particularly presented with chronic diseases. Physical activity in older adults is shown to slow down the effects of age related loss of endurance, range of motion, and strength. In the article, it is stated that regular exercise can help prevent falls, protect from cognitive decline, decrease symptoms of depression, and management of pain and chronic disease. It is common to hear of and older adult obtaining a fall related injury. This is typically due to a decrease in muscle strength and endurance. A nurse is able to teach the individual about the importance of improving their muscle strength to prevent falls, or if a fall does occur, to help them be able to get back up on their own, bringing a sense of