These days, although many physicians encourage the elderly to exercise regularly, the majority of patients do not follow their recommendation. I believe that this occurs mainly due to its time-consuming nature, and there are several ways of alleviating this prevalent issue.
One major reason why old people do not often exercise is the fact that it takes a long time to see its benefits. It is ingrained in our nature that to get tangible results of doing physical activities we need to do it for prolonged periods of time. Therefore, some elderly patients may be reluctant to exercise, thinking that it is too late to do so. In addition, as people age, it becomes increasingly harder to do anything physically demanding. This is because older bodies are easily exhausted, even more than those of younger people. Thus, the elderly might be unwilling to engage in rigorous activities that doctors often prescribe, due to their difficulty and the willpower that it requires.
Nevertheless, launching campaigns encouraging not only old, but also young people could be used to combat the aforementioned problem. When older individuals do demanding tasks alone, they could be more inclined to give up. However, if their friends or families, for example, are there to follow their progress and exercise together, old people might be more motivated to further do what their doctors have recommended. Furthermore, some routines that physicians prescribe these days are too demanding for many individuals. As a result, even determined people may not do what they were advised. Hence, creating new routines that allow the elderly to follow them easily and in a straightforward manner could make more people adhere to them, as it would be more accessible. Also, designing such routines to be short, for instance, 5-10 minutes long, is highly likely to be beneficial for those individuals who do not have much free time.
In conclusion, many old individuals do not adhere to their exercise routines, since they may not see the advantages of doing so, and because it requires persistence. However, if someone is near the elderly, motivating them to continue their physical activities, or creating routines for them to be easier to follow could make them much easier to stick with, encouraging more individuals to be healthy.