There's not a universal stereotype that we become sedentary as we get older. Negative attitudes can keep older women from enjoying the health benefits of exercise, in particular, in combating diseases that strike older adults of both sexes, including heart disease and diabetes, and those that strike women in particular, especially osteoporosis. We think exercise will help people maintain a more active, healthy later life. It won't eliminate the aging process. But, certainly, it can help to manage many age-associated diseases and make their symptoms less severe.
Classic examples are heart disease and diabetes.
With osteoporosis, in addition to calcium supplements and estrogen replacement therapy after menopause, the other big way to keep bones healthy is exercise. This made us target women in our study. There are major indicators that if we keep exercising, pulling on the bones, that it will help them maintain strength. Although the benefits of exercise have been well-documented, the percentage of older people who exercise is less than that of the younger population, says Storandt. We thought there might be special issues for women.