ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on evidence proven to promote healthy lifestyles for older people, an aim for WHO and most countries. Maintaining an older population in good health has many benefits for the individuals, societies and health systems. However in the elderly there are a greater number of factors affecting health and function that need to be considered when compared with children or younger adults. A large proportion of elderly people experience reduction in physical capacity and commonly have sensory deficits, musculoskeletal problems, respiratory diseases, diabetes, depression, and dementia. Older people are likely to experience several conditions simultaneously, complex health states that occur only later in life (geriatric syndromes) a consequence of multiple underlying factors. Such syndromes may be mitigated for by improved health care, including physical activity. This chapter contains information concerning many of the issues affecting the elderly. Examples are provided of interventions to improve activity and health outcomes, with evidence of their effectiveness in practice, providing holistic approaches to physical activity and wellbeing based on sound theoretical and practical evidence.
