Interventions to promote physical activity by older adults

Physical inactivity has been established to be an independent risk factor f or a range of chronic diseases and conditions that threaten the health of t he nation. However, only a minority of the population is currently meeting the recommended levels of regular physical activity, which have been linked with important health and quality-of-life benefits. Older adults are at pa rticular risk for leading sedentary lifestyles. This article provides an ov erview of factors associated with physical activity for older adults and al so describes potentially promising interventions for promoting regular phys ical activity in this growing population segment. Examples of interventions undertaken at personal and interpersonal as well as broader levels of anal ysis (e.g., environmental) are provided. Major issues currently facing the field are discussed, including the ongoing challenge of developing assessme nt tools that are sensitive to the more moderate-intensity physical activit ies favored by older adults and the formidable task of combining clinical a pproaches with environmental and policy strategies aimed at combating this public health problem.