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The Effects of Physical Activity on Mental Health

What is Physical Activity (PA)?

There are several ways to enhance the physical and mental health of an aging elder, and one important influential factor is physical activity (PA). Scientific research studies have defined PA as consisting of: walking, skiing, yard work (specifically gardening), jogging, cycling, flights of stairs, steps per day, ballroom dancing, sports, and other recreational activities.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]} To assess the effects of PA on mental health in the elderly population, PA was measured in terms of how many days a week a person exercised, how much time was spent exercising, and whether the exercise elicited low, moderate, or high levels of energy.

brisk walking!	take the stairs!	gardening can be fun too!	gardening is active!
join an exercise class!	swimming is therapeutic	competitive sports: running	aquafit!

What are the long-term effects or benefits of PA?

Maintaining quality of mental health in the elderly is important as it tends to predict lifestyle choices (i.e., exercise)^[6]. Research has shown that as the amount or frequency of PA increases, overall mental health typically increases^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}. As an elder ages, their risk of catching detrimental immune system illnesses such as pneumonia and influenza increases^[5]. A research study measured the production of saliva before and after a 20 minute low level workout in elderly people over the age of 75. They found that a moderate level of PA was found to stimulate a protective mucus barrier associated with the immune system that serves as a protective agent against viruses; it appears that the protective mucus barrier is most effective prior to working out when the body is in a resting state. In contrast, they found that intense levels of exercise seem to have opposite effects on the overall immune system. They suggest that any type of PA is essential in the elderly population to ensure a strong and healthy functioning immune system^[5].

Mental health threats also tend to increase with age, and one serious mental health disease that has been increasing within the elderly population is dementia (Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Vascular dementia (VaD)). A study found that individuals who engage in a minimum of 4 types of PA within a 2-week period were more likely to decrease their risk of dementia than individuals who only engaged in 1 type; these effects were consistent at 10-year follow-up^[2]. Similarly, elderly people who engaged in intense level exercise on a regular basis were less likely to show evidence of cognitive decline, and this effect was maintained at 5-year follow-up^[3]. A moderate level exercise (e.g., brisk walking) and overall participation in PA was linked to a lower risk of VaD and AD^[3][4]. A possible explanation for this relationship could be that an elderly person with better cognitive health is more likely to participate in physical activity, whereas mild or severe cognitive health was linked to less participation in PA^[2]. Finally, an aging elder is likely to avoid mortality from mental and physical illnesses as long as they stay active. A study found that any type and amount of PA decreases an elder’s likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and minimizes all-cause mortality risk^[1]. An elders life expectancy is likely to increase as both mental and physical health are maintained with regular PA^[2][4].

This video provides further insight into the importance of PA in reducing cognitive impairment(i.e., dementia) in the elderly. It outlines the signs and symptoms associated with dementia, and reports scientific evidence that supports the positive relationship between PA and mental health.

For more information on Alzheimer's Disease: Alzheimer Society

How might PA improve cognitive functioning?

A study found that there are four specific ways PA may increase cognition:^[4]

1. PA may promote improved blood flow through the brain and decrease a persons risk of cognitive impairment
2. PA may increase and improve overall brain structure and serve as a protective factor against brain damage
3. PA may decrease the production of stress hormones (i.e., cortisol) harmful to the brain
4. PA increases the likelihood of social interaction which tends to positively stimulate increased brain functioning

Which Types of PA have been most effective?

The types of PA measured in the studies are certainly practiced by many elders, but there are four recommended types of PA that have a significant positive affect on overall health: endurance activities, strengthening exercises, stretching exercises, and balance exercises. For more information on these exercises, and ways you can get started at home: exercises for the elderly Furthermore, research has suggested an exercise prescription that is important to implement in the life of an elder; this includes aerobic or cardio induced activities, exercises targeting strength, and exercises that promote healthy levels of balance and flexibility^[7] It is highly recommended that persons interested in more thorough information on each type of exercise within the exercise prescription to locate the following research article^[7]

Social Support and Its Benefits for Elderly Individuals

The elderly population is a large part of society both statistically and sociologically. People aged 65 and older are projected to make up 27% of the Canadian population by the year 2056.^[8] With this dramatic increase, it is important for the public to be aware of elderly people’s individual needs. Research has shown that social support and interactions are proven to benefit elderly individuals in terms of their overall health and well-being.^{[9][10][11][12][13]} It would be beneficial to those caring for elderly individuals to consider the following aspects of social activity in order to realize its importance in their lives.

Types of Social Relationships

Parent-Child

An adult child caregiver can provide emotional support for their parent as well as encourage them to seek medical advice/utilize health services.

The relationship an elderly person has with their adult child can be vastly different from their relationship with a friend or acquaintance. In a recent study it was found adult children that provide support for their elderly parents often feel a sense of personal obligation to take care of their parents.^[13] This could be explained by the idea of reciprocity, meaning the adult child would want to show appreciation of their upbringing by caring for their parents in return.^[13] However, the most beneficial relationship was found when the elderly individual provided some kind of minor favours, such as childcare or cleaning, in return to the child’s assistance.^[13] By providing a balance in the parent-child relationship, it was shown that the elderly and the adult child caring for them were most satisfied.^[13]

Partner/Spouse

Having a partner or spouse living with an elderly person provides constant social support that can contribute to better well-being if the relationship is strong. In one study it was demonstrated how even if an individual become the primary caregiver for their spouse, perhaps with illness, the relationship is actually less likely to become strained in comparison to an adult child becoming the caregiver.^[9]

Friends and Community Involvement

Although elderly friends and acquaintances may not have relationships as intimate as those between parent and child or partner, they still show great importance to social support. Studies have shown that elderly men without a confidant, or someone they could talk to about various problems, were less likely to seek consultation for depression. ^[12] This kind of emotional support is an integral part of seeking help for the elderly. It is also consistent with the idea that individuals with high social support are more likely to utilize health services.^[12] In the same study it was found that depressed elderly individuals in urban areas sought consultation more frequently than those in rural areas.^[12] The lack of social support associated with living in a more isolated area can greatly impact older people and their ability to take care of themselves and can cause loneliness or feelings of inadequacy.^[10]

This video, sponsored by Friends of the Elderly, examines real-life cases of elderly individuals that have become socially isolated due to health problems or lack of resources. It shows how these individuals can benefit dramatically from simple activities such as going to the hairdresser. Most of all, this video demonstrates how the younger generation can help by simply volunteering to spend a few hours of their time with elderly people that otherwise may not have close family or other social relationships.

Social Support and Mortality

According to recent research, elderly individuals that have very little social support are more likely to die earlier than those who have a wide variety of relationships, networks, and community involvement.^[11] In a particular study, people over the age of 65 were assessed for overall social support based on their networks, relationships, and economic assistance and then asked to participate in an annual followup for 12 years.^[11] It was found that probability of survival for people with low social support was the lowest and continued to decrease every year when compared to those medium and high social support.^[11] This emphasizes the idea that having very little social connections such as family and friends can deeply impact the length of an elderly person’s lifespan. Even activities such as going to the theatre, volunteering, and having quick conversations with a neighbor are taken into account when determining social support, further implicating their importance.^[11] In this study it was noted that only 29.5% of the elderly individuals with low social support were still alive at the end of the 12-year followup compared to 54.5% of the high social support group.^[11] This suggests that low social support can also be a predictor for mortality in the elderly, which could be further explained by lack of resources, mental health, and low morale or loneliness. ^[11][12][10]

--Sz08to 23:21, 2 November 2011 (EDT)

Notes and References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Sundquist, K., Qvist, J., Sundquist, J., & Johansson, S-E. (2004). Frequent and occassional physical actvity in the elderly: A 12-year follow-up study of mortality. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 27(1), 22-27.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} Jedrziewski, M. K., Ewbank, D. C., Wang, H., & Trojanowski, J. Q. (2004. Exercise and cognition: Results from the national long term care survey. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 6, 448-455.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Laurin, D., Verreault, R., Lindsay, J., MacPherson, K., & Rockwood, K. (2001). Physical activity and risk of cognitive impairment and dementia in elderly persons. Arch Neurol, 58, 498-504.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} Ravaglia, G., Forti, P., Luciesare, A., Pisacane, N., Rietti, E., Bianchin, M., & Dalmonte, E. (2008). Physical activity and dementia risk in elderly persons. Neurology, 70(1), 1786-1794.
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Sakamoto, Y., Ueki, S., Kasai, T., Takato, J., Shimanuki, H., Honda, H., Ito, T., & Haga, H. (2009). Effect of exercise, again and functional capacity on acute secretory immunogobulin A response in elderly people over 75 years of age. Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 9, 81-88.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Parker, S. J., Strath. S. J., & Swartz, A. M. (2008). Physical activity measurement in older adults: Relationships with mental health. J Aging Phys Act, 16(4), 369-380.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Nied, R. J., & Franklin, B. (2002). Promoting and prescribing exercise for the elderly. American Family Physician, 65(3), 419-426.
8. ↑ Statistics Canada. (2008). Seniors. Retrieved from http://www41.statcan.ca/2008/70000/ceb70000_000-eng.htm
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} Deimling, G. T., Bass, D. M., Townsend, A. L., & Noelker, L. S. (1989). Care-related stress: A comparison of spouse and adult-child caregivers in shared and separate households. Journal of Aging and Health, 1(1), 67.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2} Loke, S. C., Abdullah, S. S., Chai, S. T., Hamid, T. A., & Yahaya, N. (2011). Assessment of factors influencing morale in the elderly. PLoS ONE, 6(1)
11. ↑ ^{11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6} Mazzella, F., Cacciatore, F., Galizia, G., Della-Morte, D., Rossetti, M., Abbruzzese, R., . . .(2010). Social support and long-term mortality in the elderly: Role of comorbidity. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 51(3), 323.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4} Mechakra-Tahiri, S., Zunzunegui, M. V., Dubé, M., & Préville, M. (2011). Associations of social relationships with consultation for symptoms of depression: A community study of depression in older men and women in Québec. Psychological Reports, 108(2), 537-552.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4} Stuifbergen, M. C., Dykstra, P. A., Lanting, K. N., & van Delden, J.M. (2010). Autonomy in an ascribed relationship: The case of adult children and elderly parents. Journal of Aging Studies, 24(4), 257.