title: Is exercise used as medicine? Association of meeting strength training guidelines and functional limitations among older US adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association between meeting strength training guidelines (≥2 times per week) and the presence of functional limitations among older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study used data from older adult participants (N=6763) of the National Health Interview Survey conducted in 2011 in the United States.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 16.1% of older adults reported meeting strength training guidelines. For each of nine functional limitations, those with the limitation were less likely to meet strength training recommendations than those without the limitation. For example, 20.0% of those who reported no difficulty walking one-quarter mile met strength training guidelines, versus only 10.1% of those who reported difficulty (p<.001). In sum, 21.7% of those with no limitations (33.7% of sample) met strength training guidelines, versus only 15.9% of those reporting 1-4 limitations (38.5% of sample) and 9.8% of those reporting 5-9 limitations (27.8% of sample) (p<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Strength training is uncommon among older adults and even less common among those who need it the most. The potential for strength training to improve the public's health is therefore substantial, as those who have the most to gain from strength training participate the least.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, United States; Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, United States. Electronic address: jkraschnewski@hmc.psu.edu.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kraschnewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, United States; Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, United States. Electronic address: csciamanna@hmc.psu.edu.
authors.forename: Christopher N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Sciamanna
authors.affiliation: Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th St., New York, NY 10027, United States. Electronic address: ciccolo@tc.columbia.edu.
authors.forename: Joseph T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Ciccolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, United States; Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, United States. Electronic address: lrovniak@hmc.psu.edu.
authors.forename: Liza S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Rovniak
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, United States. Electronic address: elehman@phs.psu.edu.
authors.forename: Erik B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Lehman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, United States. Electronic address: ccandotti@hmc.psu.edu.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Candotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, United States. Electronic address: nballentine@hmc.psu.edu.
authors.forename: Noel H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Ballentine
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D011315:Preventive Medicine; D011788:Quality of Life; D055070:Resistance Training; D014481:United States
keywords: Aging; Exercise; Function; Health behavior; Lifestyle; Muscle strength; Physical activity; Public health; Quality of life; Strength training