This review found that muscle strength , balance , and endurance can be improved by physical activity in people aged 40 - 65 years .
There were bigger effects on muscle strength from programs that used resistance exercises , indicating the need to include a resistance training component if strength enhancement is the goal
QUESTION Can physical activity  in adults aged 40 - 65 years enhance strength and balance and prevent falls ?
Group- vs home-based exercise training in healthy older men and women. A community-based clinical trial.
OBJECTIVE --To determine the effectiveness of group- vs home-based exercise training of higher and lower intensities among healthy , sedentary older adults . DESIGN --Year-long r and omized , controlled trial comparing ( 1 ) higher-intensity group-based exercise training ; ( 2 ) higher-intensity home-based exercise training ; ( 3 ) lower-intensity home-based exercise training ; or ( 4 ) assessment -only control . SETTING --General community located in northern California . PARTICIPANTS --One hundred sixty women and 197 men 50 to 65 years of age who were sedentary and free of cardiovascular disease . One out of nine persons contacted through a community r and om-digit-dial telephone survey and citywide promotion were r and omized . INTERVENTIONS --For higher-intensity exercise training , three 40-minute endurance training sessions per week were prescribed at 73 % to 88 % of peak treadmill heart rate . For lower-intensity exercise training , five 30-minute endurance training sessions per week were prescribed at 60 % to 73 % of peak treadmill heart rate . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES --Treadmill exercise test performance , exercise participation rates , and heart disease risk factors . RESULTS --Compared with controls , subjects in all three exercise training conditions showed significant improvements in treadmill exercise test performance at 6 and 12 months ( P less than .03 ) . Lower-intensity exercise training achieved changes comparable with those of higher-intensity exercise training . Twelve-month exercise adherence rates were better for the two home-based exercise training conditions relative to the group-based exercise training condition ( P less than .0005 ) . There were no significant training-induced changes in lipid levels , weight , or blood pressure . CONCLUSIONS --We conclude that ( 1 ) this community-based exercise training program improved fitness but not heart disease risk factors among sedentary , healthy older adults ; ( 2 ) home-based exercise was as effective as group exercise in producing these changes ; ( 3 ) lower-intensity exercise training was as effective as higher-intensity exercise training in the home setting ; and ( 4 ) the exercise programs were relatively safe
This review found that muscle strength , balance , and endurance can be improved by physical activity in people aged 40 - 65 years .
There were bigger effects on muscle strength from programs that used resistance exercises , indicating the need to include a resistance training component if strength enhancement is the goal
QUESTION Can physical activity  in adults aged 40 - 65 years enhance strength and balance and prevent falls ?