ABSTRACT
Portugal is facing a large aging population. This is a result of an increase in emigration by younger adults as well as decreasing fertility rates. Recent political awareness of the need to address the health and well-being of older adults in Portugal has resulted in an excellent opportunity for designing and implementing new policies and approaches concerning exercise and physical activity as important instruments to shift the overall harmful situation. In this chapter, the authors consider the power of sports/exercise to induce a social impact on society, including innovative support of health prevention, social peace, and ethical decision-making. In this chapter, we will review the reality of aging in Portugal, starting with a demographic approach followed by some scientific considerations about the relationship between exercise and quality of life, and ending with a description of the various physical activity practices and programs in the country. Furthermore, causes for the over-medication of many older adults with absence of disease and its prevention practices are addressed. The results of our analysis suggest that sport and exercise practices need to become an important legal framework to combat premature aging and increase the overall quality of life for older adults in Portugal.
