Good health acquired from regular exercise provides older adults with the opportunity to enjoy quality time with their grandchildren.

Decreased stamina, memory loss, poor balance...these are a result of "old" age, right? Or are they? Test your knowledge about the effects of the aging process and exercise on your body and mind with this quiz. You may be surprised as to what is really within your control.

A. Falls are an inevitable occurrence as you age.

1. True
2. False 

B. Individuals who are 65 years-of-age and older are too old to gain benefits from an exercise program.

1. True
2. False

C. Regular exercise will have no effect on cognitive decline later in life.

1. True
2. False

D. Older adults can gain health benefits from bouts of exercise that are as short as 10 minutes in duration.

1. True
2. False

E. Healthy older adults can safely participate in vigorous-intensity exercise.

1. True
2. False

ANSWERS:

A. False. Personal and lifestyle choices can greatly impact your risk for a fall, according to the National Institutes of Health Senior Health website (NIH Senior Health). In fact, the first line of defense in the prevention and treatment of falls and fractures is to engage in regular endurance, strength, balance and flexibility exercises. More...

B. False. Older adults at any age can benefit from regular exercise. The American College of Sports Medicine reports that individuals who are 65 years-of-age and older are able to experience a similar increase in their aerobic capacity (about 10 to 30 percent) from regular exercise, such as walking, compared to their younger counterparts. More...

C. False. The National Institute on Aging states that regular exercise can help you to coordinate and switch between tasks, formulate plans of action and disregard irrelevant information. Routine physical activity can also help you to keep your "working" memory (i.e., the ability to retain and process information over a short period of time). More...

D. True. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans issued by the federal government reports that health benefits can be obtained from exercise sessions that are only 10 minutes in duration; however, the guidelines stress that sessions of longer duration (e.g., 30 minutes) provide greater benefits. More...

E. True. The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans states that healthy and fit adults who are 65 years-of-age and older are able to safely engage in vigorous-intensity exercises, such as jogging. The federal government recommends that older adults participate in vigorous-intensity exercises for approximately 75 minutes per week. (Note: individuals whose fitness levels and health conditions preclude participation in intense exercise can still obtain benefits by engaging in moderate-intensity exercises for 150 minutes per week. More...

Note: A physician's approval should be obtained prior to initiating an exercise program or increasing the intensity level of a current exercise regimen.