Physical Activity and Old Age

Ashley Washington

Gerontology 101.001

March 1, 2013

Physical Activity and old age

        America is bursting with an ever increasing population of individuals over the age of sixty-five. When it comes to physical activity and people over the age of 50 a majority of Americans all have similar thoughts, 'old people don't exercise. My research paper is going to expand on the knowledge we have as a people about how physical activity and the lack of it can have a big impact in our lives. I want to know if people who made their career as being an athlete have a big impact on their life expectancy because of the amount of physical activity in their lives. Throughout the paper I want to find comparisons between the two different populations of older Americans it won’t be male and female, rather the active elderly compared to those of the elderly who choose or can’t help but live a sedentary lifestyle.

There are many roads and questions that can be asked through this specific topic on older people.  There is an interest in knowing if physical activity takes a big role in the quality and length of life as one gets older? I also want to know if there is an actual difference between the life of a person who used to be an athlete and an average American who never played sports, besides their muscle mass. Some more questions that I have are does society make it possible for older people to start becoming more physically active and if so how are they doing this? Also is it easier for Americans who have always been physically active to remain that way when they start getting older and how it affects them if they can’t be physically active.

Studies have found that the muscle mass of an older person over the age of 65 who lives a sedentary lifestyle and the muscle mass of a retired athlete who maintains a physically active lifestyle are substantially different. In the 21st century many Americans are going different routs in their lives when it comes to being physically fit and they are happy with their choices. So when one thinks about how the quality of life is effected among older people there are many ways that results can be biased but there are facts about athletes and non-athletes. While studying older high class athletes its been concluded by Dionigi and O'Flynn (2007) that “old athletes transgress social perceptions of old age, particularly by participating in competitive sports.” Sports, especially competitive sports in general, boosts the confidence of any individual who wants to see themselves do better. After running for what seems like hours on a track and the finish line is now behind you one would feel proud of themselves. Being physically fit can have a big influence on an older person's life.