Flexibility on the Functional Autonomy of Independent Elderly Women

Abstract

The study aimed at investigating the evolution of flthrough a dynamic fl exibility method and its infl uence over the functional autonomy of 14 elderly women (aged 60-87 years/C=66.4±7.3). A fl exibility training program from the Acade- mia Capacidade Vital (Vital Capacity fi tness center, in English), in Araruama, Rio de Janeiro State was applied during 16 weeks, frequency of 2 days a week, during 30 minutes for each session. In the initial and fi nal phases, tests of goniometric fl exibility were conducted according to LABIFE protocol (Dantas, 1997), using a 360 o . steel goniometer (trademark Cardiomed, Brazil), and move- ments of shoulder abduction, hip fl exion and extension, knee fl exion, ankle extension and fl exion, lumbar spine fl exion, and C10m, USP, UVDP and TUG tests of autonomy (Aragao, 2002), where the timing of gauged in seconds, timed by a chronometer (trademark Casio, Malayasi). A descriptive statistical treatment was used, with mean and standard deviation, minimum and maximum values, and a T test. The individuals presented a signifi cant improvement (p<0.01) of all the articulated movements considered. On the autonomy tests, there was a reduction in all the times that were marked, but only the C10m and USP (p<0.01) were seen in an expressive way.