The Pharmacists of Physical Activity: Physiotherapists Empowering Older Adults’ Autonomy in the Self-Management of Aging with and Without Persistent Conditions

Aging has been thought to be factual, inherited, and obligatory. However, aging can be divided into primary (i.e., inevitable physiological changes) and secondary (i.e., age-associated changes driven by life choices, environment, and society) aging. The impact of social norms and life choices is why no two 70-year-olds look the same. The life choice that appears to have the strongest impact on aging is physical activity. Research continues to highlight the power of mitigating age-related losses via physical activity and debunking the notion that age-related changes such as falls, frailty, and functional decline are inevitable. Physiotherapists are the healthcare professionals who reverse or slow down age-related changes and prevent secondary aging from occurring. Physiotherapists are the health profession's experts in movement science, whose interventions primarily center around physical activity as medicine. Thus, physiotherapists function as pharmacists of physical activity and are well-positioned to prescribe the dosages needed for wellness promotion as well as disease prevention and management. This paper provides guidance from the perspective of the physiotherapist on exercise prescription most optimal and consumable for an older population.