Prescribing physical activity for older adults

Physicians and other healthcare providers must disseminate the message promoting physical activity among all of their patients, especially frail older adults. Some degree of physical activity is always preferable to a sedentary life. The goals of physical activity counseling are to provide concrete information, clear and consistent recommendations, and to recognize barriers that older adults face in initiating and maintaining a program. Tailoring the message based on their patient's health and functional status is paramount and counseling should be ongoing and included at every visit. Focusing on what has been described as "functional fitness," such as walking, transferring (up and down from chair, in and out of car, up and down stairs) in order to more easily complete tasks of daily living, should also be stressed. Medical school curricula will need to address this deficiency of practicing physicians by enhancing this area of training for optimal disease prevention, chronic disease management and health promotion.