Exercise for health and wellness at midlife and beyond: balancing benefits and risks.
As noted in research on frailty in women, regular exercise can limit age-related functional decline. However, physical activity has been implicated in the etiology of such musculoskeletal disorders as osteoarthritis. Proper exercise plans must strike a balance between promoting health and limiting the risk of injury. This article discusses age-related musculoskeletal changes and gender-specific conditions that may predispose midlife and older women to musculoskeletal injuries. The controversy about how physical activity may relate to osteoarthritis is discussed, along with common osteoarthritic-related spinal and appendicular conditions. Exercise prescription for women is briefly presented. The consistent message in the literature is that exercise is a safe and powerful tool to prevent and treat many medical, psychological, and musculoskeletal conditions in females at midlife and beyond.
Dugan
Sheila A
SA
Rush Medical College, Rush University Medical Center, 1725 W. Harrison Street, Suite 970, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. sheila_dugan@rush.edu
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009142:Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D016387:Women's Health