Evaluation of Some Physical and Health Parameters in a Local Physical Activity Program for Seniors

Abstract

Background: About 1/5 of the population of Évora Municipality in Portugal is aged 65 and over, and there has been a continued deterioration in the ageing index (159 in 2016). Évora City Hall offers the Active Seniors program which aims to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles among older adults (at least 55 years). This study aims to evaluate the effect on some physical and medical parameters of the participants in this program within a period of 6–12 months, showing why it is worthwhile for the municipalities to elect this type of programs. Methods: A 1-year follow-up of three groups of seniors was conducted that covered participants enrolled for the first time in the Active Seniors program and individuals who had participated in the Active Seniors program in previous years and who would maintain or increase the number of sessions per week. Participants self-reported sociodemographic and past health information and were submitted to medical tests, and anthropometric and physical evaluations. Differences in medical and physical parameters were evaluated using analysis of covariance and mixed models. Results: In just 6 months, seniors who participated in the Active Seniors program for the first time improved several medical tests results and improved their performance in physical fitness tests (all p < 0.05). The increase in the number of sessions per week decreased the systolic blood pressure values after only 6 months (p < 0.001) and improved the physical fitness tests over 12 months (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The Active Seniors program is an effective way to improve the health and physical fitness of older adults. The continuation of the program, with or without the increase in the number of weekly sessions, allows controlling the medical parameters and increasing the functional fitness of the participants.