Lack of regular physical activity contributes to the development of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is one of the main causes of fractured bones in older adults. Currently, a woman's risk of fracturing a hip is equal to her combined risk of developing breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer. Injury rate increases as flexibility decreases. Although flexibility decreases naturally with age, significantly more flexibility is lost by disuse and inactivity.
Sedentary adults are about two times as likely to develop coronary heart disease as active adults.
An active childhood, without continued activity into adulthood, will not protect adults from heart disease. Based on research studies, athletes maintained low rates of heart disease only when they remained active later in life. The benefits of regular physical activity for older adults are clear and significant. Physical activity has positive effects on a number of conditions that show increased risk with increasing age. It prevents development and assists in treatment of a number of conditions and diseases including heart disease, hypertension, certain cancers, osteoporosis, arthritis, adult-onset diabetes, and obesity.