The health benefits following regular ongoing exercise lifestyle in independent community-dwelling older Taiwanese adults

Aim: To examine the effect of regular ongoing exercise lifestyle on mental and physical health in a group of independent community-dwelling Taiwanese older adults over a 2-year period. Methods: 197 older adults (mean age 72.5 years; 106 men and 91 women) who were independent in walking, instrumental and basic activities of daily living completed the baseline and a 2-year follow-up assessment. Older adults regularly performing exercises during the 2-year study period were grouped into regular exercise group; otherwise in the irregular exercise group. Baseline and follow-up assessments included a face-to-face interview and a battery of performance tests. Results: The regular exercise group showed significantly less depression (P= 0.03) and tended to regress less on the performance tests (P= 0.025-0.410) across 2 years compared to the irregular exercise group. Conclusion: Regular exercise is important for maintaining or even improving mental and functional health, even for independent community-dwelling older adults.