[Value of exercise and sports activities in the elderly]

The sport scientific research within the scope of the first survey of the ILSE-longitudinal study consisted of standardized interviews of 695 probands born between 1930 and 1932. Based upon these interviews will first be presented the connections between physical activities on the one hand and the subjective estimation of health and physical ability on the other. Then a comparison between these subjective estimations and the objective medical opinions will follow. Physical activity has a significantly positive influence on both the subjective estimations and the general attitude towards age and contentment with life. Furthermore the examination provided information on the expectations the elderly link with physical activities, why they possibly refuse to exercise, and under which conditions they might start to exercise. The most important result is the main position of health for the decision in favor of or against physical activities. The statements of the physically active on the exercised sports provide indications of the different interests of men and women and the desired offers.