Which statement about adjusting exercise prescriptions for age is true?

• A. Baseline measurements are optional.
• B. Training intensity should be increased regardless of age.
• C. Training intensity and volume must be adjusted for age.
• D. Only frequency needs change with age.

Answer: (C)

Age changes how the body responds to exercise, so the workload you prescribe should reflect those shifts. As people get older, maximal aerobic capacity and muscle power tend to decline, recovery takes longer, and there’s often greater injury risk or presence of health conditions. Because of this, you don’t just tweak one part of the plan—you usually adjust both how hard you work (intensity) and how much you do (volume). Start with lower starting points, use gradual progression, and monitor how the body responds with objective cues like heart rate reserve or rate of perceived exertion, then increase only as recovery and tolerable load permit. Baseline measurements are important for determining safe starting points, but they don’t replace the need to tailor intensity and volume to age. Simply changing frequency while keeping intensity and volume constant ignores the physiological realities of aging, making this option inappropriate.