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Exercise

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Geriatric Medicine

Abstract

Exercise can be considered an important component of overall health promotion. For younger adults, exercise is primarily a recreational activity. Younger adults have considerably more physiologic reserve, in both muscular strength and cardiovascular capacity, and the beneficial effects of exercise for them are more likely to come from cardiovascular risk reduction. Older individuals, by contrast, experience a progressive decline in many physiologic functions, including muscular strength and cardiovascular capacity.1,2 Habitual exercise, by improving strength and maximum aerobic capacity (VO2 max) as a result of conditioning effects, can provide added physiologic reserve as well as enhance well-being by reducing effort and fatigue associated with activities of daily living.3 Most importantly, habitual exercise in moderation can slow development of disability and thereby prolong active life expectancy.4,5

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Authors
  1. Eric B. Larson
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  2. Robert A. Bruce
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Henry L. Schwartz Department of Geriatrics and Adult Development, The Mount Sinai Medical Center, 10029-6574, New York, NY, USA

    Christine K. Cassel M.D. (Professor and Chairman) & Diane E. Meier M.D. (Associate Professor) (Professor and Chairman) &  (Associate Professor)

  2. Center for Study of Aging and Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Duke University Medical Center, 27710, Durham, NC, USA

    Harvey J. Cohen M.D. (Director) (Director)

  3. University of Washington Medical Center, 98195, Seattle, WA, USA

    Eric B. Larson M.D., M.P.H. (Medical Director) (Medical Director)

  4. Gerontology Division, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 02115, Boston, MA, USA

    Neil M. Resnick M.D. (Chief) (Chief)

  5. Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Sepulveda VA Medical Center, 91343, Sepulveda, CA, USA

    Laurence Z. Rubenstein M.D., M.P.H. (Director) (Director)

  6. Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, 60637, Chicago, IL, USA

    Leif B. Sorensen M.D. (Professor and Vice Chairman) (Professor and Vice Chairman)

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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Larson, E.B., Bruce, R.A. (1997). Exercise. In: Cassel, C.K., et al. Geriatric Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2705-0_53

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2705-0_53

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-2707-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-2705-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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