Elderly’s Physical-Functional Fitness and Perceived Functional Capacity and Health after Participation in a Hydrotherapy Program

Elsa Pereira (), Marlene Baião (), João Carvalho () and Vanda Correia ()
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Elsa Pereira: University of Algarve, Postal: School of Education and Communication, University of Algarve, Portugal, http://esec.ualg.pt/home/pt
Marlene Baião: University of Algarve, Postal: School of Education and Communication, University of Algarve, Portugal, http://esec.ualg.pt/home/pt
João Carvalho: University of Algarve, Postal: School of Education and Communication, University of Algarve, Portugal, http://esec.ualg.pt/home/pt
Vanda Correia: University of Algarve, Postal: School of Education and Communication, University of Algarve, Portugal, http://esec.ualg.pt/home/pt

Journal of Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being, 2014, vol. 2, issue 2, 139-146

Abstract: Several studies have demonstrated how physical activity in older people benefits their physical fitness, health and well-being. The relation between physical activity and perceived functional capacity and health is yet to be considered. This study is a quantitative research design that investigated the improvement of the physical-functional fitness and the perception of the functional capacity and health of an elderly group participating in a water-based exercise program (hydrotherapy). The data was collected in three different moments of the exercise program through a battery of tests of physical-functional fitness established by Batista and Sardinha (2005) and a questionnaire adapted from SABE project (Lebrão and Duarte, 2003). Twenty-six elderly persons (23 women and 3 men) aged between 60 and 84 years old participated in a 31-week hydrotherapy program (twice a week; 45 minutes by session). Friedman test was used for assessing statistical differences between the physical-functional fitness and the questionnaire responses in each of the three evaluation moments. Results revealed that this program was enough to improve the physical-functional fitness of the elderly, as well as the perception they had about their health and ability to perform activities of daily living.

Keywords: Elderly; Physical-functional Fitness; Perceived Functional Capacity; Perceived Health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I19 L83 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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