What role do exercise and nutrition play in the management of frailty in older adults?

Exercise and nutrition play a central role in the management of frailty in older adults by improving physical function, muscle strength, and overall health outcomes. Tailored exercise programmes focusing on strength, resistance, balance, and moderate-intensity activities such as walking, dancing, or swimming are recommended to maintain or improve mobility and reduce the risk of falls in frail older people ²,³. Strength and balance training, individually prescribed and monitored by trained professionals, is particularly effective in reducing fall rates and promoting independence ²,⁴. Exercise interventions should be adapted to the preferences and abilities of older adults to enhance adherence and motivation ³.

Nutrition management is equally critical, especially addressing malnutrition and ensuring adequate protein and energy intake to prevent or mitigate sarcopenia and muscle loss associated with frailty ⁵. Dietary advice should focus on increasing protein-rich meals and energy-dense foods without necessarily increasing food volume, considering individual clinical and social factors ⁵. Oral nutritional supplements (ONS) may be necessary when dietary intake alone is insufficient, as they have been shown to improve weight, muscle strength, functional outcomes, and reduce complications related to malnutrition ⁵.

Combining exercise and nutritional interventions is supported by both UK guidelines and recent geriatric literature as an effective multifactorial approach to managing frailty, aiming to preserve mobility, reduce falls, and improve quality of life ¹,²,⁵(Dent et al., 2023; Billot et al., 2020). Early identification and individualized care plans involving multidisciplinary teams are essential to optimize these interventions ¹,⁵(Walston et al., 2018).