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Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Improving Strength, Power, Muscle Aerobic Capacity, and Glucose Tolerance through Short-term Progressive Strength Training Among Elderly People
Published on: July 5, 2017
[Health benefits of aerobic training programs in adults aged 70 or over: A systematic review]
Walid Bouaziz1, Thomas Vogel2, Elise Schmitt2
1Pôle de gériatrie, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, 67091 Strasbourg cedex, France; EA-3072, faculté de médecine, institut de physiologie, université de Strasbourg, 67085 Strasbourg cedex, France; Faculté des sciences du sport, centre d'études des transformations par les activités physiques et sportives, université de Rouen, 76130 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France.
Context:
Seniors represent the population where sedentary is the highest.
Objective:
To evaluate of the exact health benefits of regular aerobic training (AT) in seniors aged 70 years or older.
Documentary Source:
Systematic review in CINAHL Plus, Embase, Medline, PubMed Central, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Sport Discus and Web of Science with a keyword search.
Selection Of Studies:
Two independent readers have selected randomized controlled and quasi-controlled studies and observational cohort studies published in English.
Results:
Of 3515 articles identified, 87 studies were included in the systematic review and categorized according to the analysed outcomes. The benefits of AT are clearly demonstrated on total mortality, coronary and neurovascular disease, glucose metabolism and type 2 diabetes, blood lipid profile, body composition, blood pressure, cardiorespiratory performances, muscle strength and functional capacity, and quality of life among senior aged 70 years or more. More recently, it has shown benefits for primary and tertiary prevention of cancer and primary and secondary prevention of cognitive decline. The benefits on bone health and the risk of falling are yet to confirm.
Limitation Of The Work:
The data of benefits result from studies published in English only.
Conclusion:
The AT is an important determinant of health and quality of life in seniors. Its promotion in this population should be part of the continuity of efforts undertaken among younger population. Thus, seniors should be more actively encouraged to engage in training programs.
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