Greater physical activity of an aerobic nature ( categorized by a variety of methods ) was associated with higher functional status ( expressed by a host of outcome measures ) in older age .
For functional independence , moderate ( and high ) levels of physical activity appeared effective in conferring a reduced risk ( odds ratio ~0.5 ) of functional limitations or disability .
Limitation in higher level performance outcomes was reduced ( odds ratio ~0.5 ) with vigorous ( or high ) activity with an apparent dose-response of moderate through to high activity .
Exercise training interventions ( including aerobic and resistance ) of older adults showed improvement in physiological and functional measures , and suggestion of longer-term reduction in incidence of mobility disability .
A relatively high level of physical activity was related to better cognitive function and reduced risk of developing dementia ; however , there were mixed results of the effects of exercise interventions on cognitive function indices .
Conclusions There is a consistency of findings across studies and a range of outcome measures related to functional independence ; regular aerobic activity and short-term exercise programmes confer a reduced risk of functional limitations and disability in older age .
Although a precise characterization of a minimal or effective physical activity dose to maintain functional independence is difficult , it appears moderate to higher levels of activity are effective and there may be a threshold of at least moderate activity for significant outcomes
Background The purpose was to conduct systematic review s of the relationship between physical activity of healthy community-dwelling older ( > 65 years ) adults and outcomes of  functional limitations , disability , or loss of independence .
A longitudinal study of cardiorespiratory fitness and cognitive function in healthy older adults.
OBJECTIVES To determine whether cardiorespiratory fitness at baseline is associated with maintenance of cognitive function over 6 years or with level of cognitive function on tests performed 6 years later in a longitudinal study of healthy older people . DESIGN Prospect i ve cohort . SETTING Community-based study of noninstitutionalized adults aged 55 and older living in Sonoma , California . PARTICIPANTS Three hundred forty-nine cohort members without evidence of cardiovascular disease , musculoskeletal disability , or cognitive impairment at baseline . MEASUREMENTS Cardiorespiratory fitness measures were based on a st and ard treadmill exercise test protocol and included peak oxygen consumption ( peak VO2 ) , treadmill exercise duration , and oxygen uptake efficiency slope ( OUES ) . Cognitive function was evaluated at baseline with a modified Mini-Mental State Examination ( mMMSE ) and after 6 years of follow-up with a detailed cognitive test battery that included the full MMSE , three tests of attention/executive function , two measures of verbal memory , and two tests of verbal fluency . RESULTS Participants with worse cardiorespiratory fitness at baseline experienced greater decline on the mMMSE over 6 years ( mean mMMSE decline ( 95 % confidence interval ) by baseline peak VO2 tertile : lowest = -0.5 ( -0.8 to -0.3 ) , middle = -0.2 ( -0.5 - 0.0 ) , highest = 0.0 ( -0.3 - 0.2 ) , P = .002 for trend over tertiles ) . Participants with worse baseline cardiorespiratory fitness also performed worse on all cognitive tests conducted 6 years later . Results were similar for analyses based on peak VO2 , treadmill exercise duration , and OUES . After adjustment for demographic and health-related covariates , measures of cardiorespiratory fitness were associated most strongly with measures of global cognitive function and attention/executive function . CONCLUSION Baseline measures of cardiorespiratory fitness are positively associated with preservation of cognitive function over a 6-year period and with levels of performance on cognitive tests conducted 6 years later in healthy older adults . High cardiorespiratory fitness may protect against cognitive dysfunction in older people
Greater physical activity of an aerobic nature ( categorized by a variety of methods ) was associated with higher functional status ( expressed by a host of outcome measures ) in older age .
For functional independence , moderate ( and high ) levels of physical activity appeared effective in conferring a reduced risk ( odds ratio ~0.5 ) of functional limitations or disability .
Limitation in higher level performance outcomes was reduced ( odds ratio ~0.5 ) with vigorous ( or high ) activity with an apparent dose-response of moderate through to high activity .
Exercise training interventions ( including aerobic and resistance ) of older adults showed improvement in physiological and functional measures , and suggestion of longer-term reduction in incidence of mobility disability .
A relatively high level of physical activity was related to better cognitive function and reduced risk of developing dementia ; however , there were mixed results of the effects of exercise interventions on cognitive function indices .
Conclusions There is a consistency of findings across studies and a range of outcome measures related to functional independence ; regular aerobic activity and short-term exercise programmes confer a reduced risk of functional limitations and disability in older age .
Although a precise characterization of a minimal or effective physical activity dose to maintain functional independence is difficult , it appears moderate to higher levels of activity are effective and there may be a threshold of at least moderate activity for significant outcomes
Background The purpose was to conduct systematic review s of the relationship between physical activity of healthy community-dwelling older ( > 65 years ) adults and outcomes of  functional limitations , disability , or loss of independence .