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.
Rush Medical College, Rush University Medical Center, 1725 W. Harrison Street, Suite 970, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. sheila_dugan@rush.edu
Sheila A
SA
Dugan
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