Exercise as a Therapy for Successful Aging

Regular physical activity has profound and multifaceted benefits for individuals as they age. This review highlights the role of exercise in promoting healthy and successful aging, emphasizing its effectiveness in the prevention and treatment of frailty and disability. Exercise is a primary intervention to attenuate the age-related biological and functional decline by targeting mainly the cardiorespiratory, vascular, nervous, and skeletal muscle systems. From a biological perspective, we review the evidence on the role of exercise in mitigating the three categories of the biological hallmarks of aging: primary, antagonistic, and integrative. Different types of exercise may elicit different benefits for older adults. Thus, our review also emphasizes the importance of incorporating tailored and personalized exercise programs that align with individual health profiles and conditions, ranging from geriatric care to senior athletes. We also review the benefits that multicomponent exercise interventions, that combine power-oriented resistance training with high-intensity interval training, have for improving health outcomes in older adults. Overcoming the barriers that deter older adults from exercising requires a comprehensive approach that addresses psychological, economic, social, environmental, and gender perspective factors to increase participation. Governments play a key role by applying evidence-based strategies, offering accessible exercise programs, creating supportive environments, and promoting policies that strengthen older adults' motivation and autonomy. These measures should ensure that all older adults have the same opportunities to engage in exercise, ultimately fostering healthier societies.