Southern medical journal
October 2, 2026 · via Europe PMC
Exercise Considerations for Older Adults.
Reese RL, Pujalte GGA, Salinas M, Abadin A, Milon R, Mayo MR.
AI summary — for doctors, generated from the abstract only
Older adults benefit substantially from structured exercise, but physicians should screen readiness and tailor programs to reduce injury risk from slower healing and age-related physiologic changes.
What was studied
A review outlining considerations for physicians guiding older adults in sports and exercise, including readiness evaluation and recommended activity levels.
Key findings
- Recommended regimen: 150 min/week moderate or 75 min/week vigorous aerobic activity plus twice-weekly strength training.
- Readiness can be assessed via physical exam, echocardiography, exercise stress testing, and bone mineral density testing.
- Benefits include improved strength, endurance, functionality, stress reduction, and cognitive health.
Clinical relevance
Primary care and geriatric physicians can use this framework to structure exercise counseling and pre-exercise risk screening for older patients.
Who should care
Limitations
This is a general review/opinion piece rather than new trial data, so specific recommendations aren't graded against head-to-head evidence.
Use structured readiness screening before recommending exercise to older patients, and prescribe the standard 150-minute aerobic plus twice-weekly strength-training regimen when appropriate.
This is an AI-generated summary of the published abstract, not a clinical recommendation. It may not reflect the full text or subsequent updates — verify against the original source before acting on it.
Abstract
The aim of this review was to outline critical considerations for physicians caring for older adults engaged in sports and exercise. The number of older adults in the United States is projected to increase, requiring physicians to deepen their understanding of geriatric exercise to provide optimal care. Enhanced physical activity among older adults is associated with improved strength, endurance, functionality, stress reduction, and cognitive health. Physicians can evaluate patient readiness for exercise through physical examinations, echocardiography, exercise stress tests, and bone mineral density tests. A recommended regimen includes 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activities weekly, alongside twice-weekly muscle-strengthening exercises. Physiologic changes and slower healing rates in older adults heighten their injury risks, however. As such, physicians should ensure a safe exercise environment to minimize these risks while maximizing health benefits. With proper guidance, older adults can enhance their quality of life through tailored exercise programs.
DOI
10.14423/smj.0000000000002015
PMID
42826396
Research metadata (titles, abstracts, authors, publication dates) is sourced from Europe PMC, which aggregates content from PubMed/MEDLINE, PubMed Central, and other providers under the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM/NCBI). NLM does not claim copyright on abstracts; the original journal publishers or authors may hold rights to the full articles. AI-generated summaries are derived only from the abstract, never the full text, and are always labeled as AI-generated.
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