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 ?
An epidemiological study of falls in older community-dwelling women: the Randwick falls and fractures study.
Seven hundred and four women aged between 65 and 99 years ( mean age 74.6 years ) , who were r and omly selected from the community , took part in a study to determine whether health and lifestyle factors were associated with falls . In the 12 months before the survey , 66.1 per cent of the subjects experienced no falls , 19.7 per cent fell once and 14.2 per cent fell on two or more occasions . The proportion of women who fell outside the home decreased with age , with a corresponding increase in the proportion who fell inside the home on a level surface . The most common causes of falls reported were trips , slips and loss of balance . Some ( 27 per cent ) suffered injuries as a result of a fall , and the proportion suffering injuries increased with age . Those who rated their health and balance as impaired , those with a limitation in activities of daily living , those receiving community services , those taking psychoactive drugs , and those taking four or more drugs had significantly more falls . On the other h and , those taking part in planned exercise and those active for seven or more hours per week had fewer falls . Smoking and alcohol consumption were not significantly associated with falls . Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed poor vision , inactivity and subjective fall risk as variables that were independently and significantly associated with falling . These findings highlight possible intervention strategies for reducing falls risk in older people
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 ?