A Minimalistic Approach to Promote Health-Span via Bouts of Daily Physical Activity in Older Adults: A Review

While increasing human life expectancy is a significant societal achievement, it often contrasts with a shorter health-span, leading to a higher incidence of chronic diseases, particularly in older adults. Physical activity is crucial for mitigating age-related musculoskeletal decline, yet participation in structured and vigorous exercise among older adults is low. This review aims to provide an overview of the impact of biological aging on the musculoskeletal system and to highlight countermeasures, including viable exercise-related strategies. The review found that biological aging contributes to sarcopenia (age-related loss of muscle mass and quality), sarcopenic obesity (reduced muscle mass with elevated fat mass), dynapenia (age-related loss of muscle strength), and declines in aerobic capacity, alongside changes in appetite regulation and energy expenditure. Importantly, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is crucial for maintaining muscle mass and preventing sarcopenia. Achieving daily step counts of approximately 6,000-8,000 for adults over 60, or specifically around 8,000 steps for men and 6,900 for women, and/or 15-20 minutes of MVPA daily, appears adequate for preventing sarcopenia. Replacing sedentary time with even small amounts of MVPA, such as 15 minutes daily, can reduce sarcopenia risk by about 15%, with greater benefits seen with longer durations like 60 minutes of MVPA. In conclusion, while structured resistance and endurance training are highly recommended, older adults who find adherence challenging can still enhance their health-span by aiming for daily step targets or incorporating approximately 30 minutes of daily MVPA. This minimalistic approach can help preserve muscle mass, limit fat accumulation, and counteract the detrimental effects of biological aging on the musculoskeletal system.