In this review we found that exercise interventions ( or lifestyle activities ) that improved cardiorespiratory exercise capacity showed the most positive impact on physical health .
CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that programs should facilitate and support women to participate in regular exercise by embedding physical activity programs in public health initiatives , by developing home-based exercise programs that require few re sources and by creating interventions that can incorporate physical activity within a healthy lifestyle .
The review also suggests that clinicians should consider prescribing exercise in a tailored manner for older women to ensure that it is of a high enough intensity to obtain the positive sustained effects of exercise
BACKGROUND Participation in regular physical activity is among the most promising and cost effective strategies to reduce physical and cognitive decline and premature death .
However , confusion remains about the amount , frequency , and duration of physical activity that is likely to provide maximum benefit as well as the way in which interventions should be delivered .
AIMS This paper aim ed to review research on the impact of leisure-time and general physical activity levels on physical and cognitive decline in postmenopausal women .
Cardiovascular exercise training extends influenza vaccine seroprotection in sedentary older adults: the immune function intervention trial.
OBJECTIVES To determine whether cardiovascular exercise training result ed in improved antibody responses to influenza vaccination in sedentary elderly people who exhibited poor vaccine responses .  DESIGN Single-site r and omized parallel-arm 10-month controlled trial . SETTING University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign . PARTICIPANTS One hundred forty-four sedentary , healthy older ( 69.9 + /- 0.4 ) adults . INTERVENTIONS Moderate ( 60 - 70 % maximal oxygen uptake ) cardiovascular exercise was compared with flexibility and balance training . MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome was influenza vaccine response , as measured according to hemagglutination inhibition ( HI ) anti-influenza antibody titer and seroprotective responses ( HI titer > or = 40 ) . Secondary measures included cardiovascular fitness and body composition . RESULTS Of the 160 participants enrolled , 144 ( 90 % ) completed the 10-month intervention with excellent compliance ( approximately 83 % ) . Cardiovascular , but not flexibility , exercise intervention result ed in improvements in indices of cardiovascular fitness , including maximal oxygen uptake . Although not affecting peak ( e.g. , 3 and 6 weeks ) postvaccine anti-influenza HI titers , cardiovascular exercise result ed in a significant increase in seroprotection 24 weeks after vaccination ( 30 - 100 % dependent on vaccine variant ) , whereas flexibility training did not . CONCLUSION Participants r and omized to cardiovascular exercise experienced improvements in influenza seroprotection throughout the entire influenza season , whereas those in the balance and flexibility intervention did not . Although there were no differences in reported respiratory tract infections , the exercise group exhibited reduced overall illness severity and sleep disturbance . These data support the hypothesis that regular endurance exercise improves influenza vaccine responses
In this review we found that exercise interventions ( or lifestyle activities ) that improved cardiorespiratory exercise capacity showed the most positive impact on physical health .
CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that programs should facilitate and support women to participate in regular exercise by embedding physical activity programs in public health initiatives , by developing home-based exercise programs that require few re sources and by creating interventions that can incorporate physical activity within a healthy lifestyle .
The review also suggests that clinicians should consider prescribing exercise in a tailored manner for older women to ensure that it is of a high enough intensity to obtain the positive sustained effects of exercise
BACKGROUND Participation in regular physical activity is among the most promising and cost effective strategies to reduce physical and cognitive decline and premature death .
However , confusion remains about the amount , frequency , and duration of physical activity that is likely to provide maximum benefit as well as the way in which interventions should be delivered .
AIMS This paper aim ed to review research on the impact of leisure-time and general physical activity levels on physical and cognitive decline in postmenopausal women .