The Exploration of Physical Activity in Decreasing the Severity of Depression among Elderly Adults
Introduction
More than 60 percent of adults do not participate in regular exercises in the United States (Hughes, at. el., 2009). There are only 28 percent of Americans who exercises at least 3 hours per week (Watt, at. el., 2009). Less than 20 percent of elderly patients do regular physical exercises (Candi, at. el., 2004). Talkowski, at. el. (2008) found in a study that more than half of elderly adults aged 65 or more do not do moderate physical activity.
Physical Activity, Health & Depression
Appropriate physical activity has been identified as practicing at least 150 minutes of exercises per week (Taylor-Piliae, at. el., 2006; Jeiome, at. el., 2006; Candi, at. el., 2004). An approximate 30-minute moderate exercise with more than 3 times per week will significantly improve health conditions among older adults (Hughes, at. el., 2009; Taylor-Piliae, at. el., 2006).
Regular physical activity is one of the major factors for improving physical and mental health, and it also effectively decrease the rate of suffering chronic diseases among older people (Shimada, at.el., 2007; Bruin, at. el., 2008; Chou, at. el., 2004).
Regular physical activity improves depression symptoms and mental health problems relate to older adults (Tucker, at. el., 2008; Casten & Rovner, 2008; Jang, at. el. 2009). Physical activity may decline the risk of dementia (Dodge, at. el., 2008). Tsai, at. el. (2008) found in a study that psychological treatment and leisure-time physical activities decreased depressive symptoms.
Physical activities develop mental and physical health and help prevent from the dangers of depression, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity (Hughes, at. el., 2009; Jang, at. el., 2009). Exercise and social support promote positive disposition and decreases depressive syndromes (Macko, at. el., 2008). Physical activities help to improve depressive syndromes (Jang, at. el., 2005; King, at. el., 2008; Thang, 2005; Jeiome, at. el., 2006) and reduce the occurrence of disability, stress, and chronic diseases, and enhanced equality of life among older adults (Gagliardi, at. el., 2007; Nimrod & Adoni, 2006).
Appropriate physical activity programs for the elderly population may help depressive symptoms, reduce brain mutilation, and enhance quality of life (Macko, at. el., 2008). Physical activity promotes strength of muscles and blood circulation that enhance physical and mental health among older people (Sinclair, at. el., 2008; Taylor-Piliae, at. el., 2006).
Conclusion
Depression and dementia have become a severe financial burden and serious resource depletion in the United States (Tucker, at. el., 2008; Stine, at. el., 2008). Depression is a prevalent disease around the world and it costs dramatic medical care expenditure to treat it (Tsai, at. el., 2008). Estimated occurrence rate of depressive symptoms is 8.7 percent in the United States (Stine, at. el., 2008).
Inactivity and inadequate physical activity accounts for many occurrences of depression in the older population (Chou, at. el., 2004). Higher education level, female, and regular physical activity are associated with fewer depressive symptoms in the elderly (Dodge, at. el., 2008; Agahi & Parker, 2005). Physical activity creates substantial contributions to mobile and health conditions after retirement. It also reduces the number of patients of chronic diseases, such as depression, cancer, diabetes, and hypertension (Slingerland, at. el., 2007). Regular physical activity creates a considerable contribution to the physical and mental health among older adults. (More, at. el., 2008).
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