Applications of physical exercise in frailty: Progress, mechanisms, and prospects

Frailty is a kind of clinical state or a kind of complex pathological syndromes characterized by impaired physiological functions, weakened physical and mental resistance to stress, and reduced ability to maintain homeostasis in multiple systems. Several types of risk factors can affect the occurrence and development of frailty either independently or in conjunction with one another, including age, gender, and exercise habits; and the multidimensional systemic treatment are often required to alleviate or improve frailty. Physical exercise is the various kinds of systematic and conscious activities, it has been demonstrated that regular exercise can promote the normal metabolism processes within the body, thereby preventing or alleviating the symptoms of various diseases. Physical exercise has the potential to regulate oxidative stress, immune response, and endocrine balance in the body of frail people by activating multiple signaling pathways including mitochondrial function, cytokine secretion, and regulation of inflammatory factors, its applications in frailty has been made the significant progress and the underlying mechanisms has been further elucidated. In this review, we have summarized the recent progress on the applications of physical exercise in frailty and the potential mechanisms, hoping that our reviews may provide some helpful guidance for the further research.