For many senior citizens, advancing age is associated with progressive increases in functional impairment, morbidity, and disability. Living with multiple morbid conditions or disability predisposes an individual to a considerably poor quality of life. However, a substantial body of scientific evidence suggests that regular exercise or physical activity can provide a multitude of health benefits in people of all ages and abilities. Considering today's society in Japan where there is an extremely low birth rate and a rapidly increasing number of older persons, this review describes the importance of regular participation in healthy exercise and physical activity, including horticultural work, for maintaining an ideal quality of life (QoL). As the number of older persons continues to rise, maintaining and/or improving overall QoL becomes more crucial. In particular, it is emphasized here that exercise and sports science (or human kinesiology) can undoubtedly contribute to maximization of individual life benefits and health status, thereby maintaining QoL. This idea is consistent with classical concepts in gerontology, sports medicine, and human kinesiology involving the assessment of QoL and exercise intervention studies in middle-aged and older persons with chronic or lifestylerelated diseases. Four domains, each consisting of several factors, are hypothesized to constitute overall QoL for humans: the physical dimension, mental dimension, lifestyle and environmental dimension, and economic dimension. Furthermore, the concept of a "support-sharing system" is introduced as a means of developing more comprehensive, effective and stable administrative reform in municipalities. The support-sharing system stems from the interaction and collaboration of many sectors including policy makers, community planners, health care providers, employers, land and transportation experts, and other diverse groups and organizations and areas of professional expertise. Implementing this novel concept effectively into the administrative sphere in municipalities will promote various benefits associated with exercise and physical activity for maintaining overall QoL, in particular the physical and mental dimensions. These efforts can then be translated into nationwide (national) action for QoL enhancement. This article summary is part of a larger initiative known as the Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), established at the University of Tsukuba in Mav 1994.