Impact of physical activities in elderly with depression:- a literature review

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this research is to explore the effect of physical activities in treating depression among elderly population living in an institution using different existing literature. Also, aim is to make this study useful to healthcare professionals and students while working with elderly population suffering from depression. The research question is kept in concern during the study: 1. How do phys- ical activities promote health for elderly suffering from depression living in an institution? Methodol- ogy: The materials were acquired through qualitative research leading to deductive content analysis and literature review was also used in order to develop ideas and facts and deal with any problems dur- ing the process. Only 7 articles could be accessed due to author’s copyright policy while conducting this research, which somehow created some limitations. Result: It was found that physical activities enhances functioning of the bodily systems with improvement in mental health as well in elderly peo- ple who have already lost their vibes due to different depression related disorders. The suffering age were found to be physically and psychologically benefited physical activities that increase feelings of self-esteem, self-regard and self-respect, which are important for elderly for recovery. Conclusion: Physical activities have been identified as one of the health-promoting factor on reducing depressive symptoms among elderly population. So, it has to be considered more importantly with more re- searches on this field.