Exercise in the elderly

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Moderate exercise done regularly enhances quality of life in many ways and diminishes the changes that time brings. Dr Walter Bortz II aptly expressed this in the following analogy: “It is wrong to suggest that exercise might halt the fall of the grains of sand in the hourglass. It is proposed, however, that the dimension of the aperture may be responsive to the toning influence of physical activity, and consequently the sand may drain more slowly.”1 Dr Rousseau describes the benefits of exercise on various body systems and offers tips on prescribing an exercise program for the elderly patient.