Abstract
This quasi-experimental study aimed to analyze the impact of swimming initiation on the physical fitness and mental health of 10 elderly women. It used the Senior Fitness Test, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale, the WHOQOL-BREF and the WHOQOL-OLD. The program involved 12 weeks of swimming initiation lessons, twice a week. There was significant difference between pre- and post-test in ‘sit-to-stand’ (p = 0.005), ‘elbow flexion’ (p = 0.007), ‘walk 2.44 m and sit’ (p = .005), ‘walk 6 min.’ (p = 0.005), as well as in anxiety (p = 0.005), stress (p = 0.005), self-esteem (p = 0.007) and quality of life (p < 0.05). Swimming was effective in improving the physical fitness and mental health of the elderly women.
Highlights
Aging-related changes such as loss of physical fitness or emotional and psychological disorders can be managed in order to keep the elderly functional until the end of their lives (Fechine & Trompieri, 2015)
Comparting the impact of 12 weeks of intervention with swimming on the subjects’ physical fitness (Table 1), significant difference was found between pre- and post-test moments for the following tests: sitto-stand (p = 0.005); elbow flexion (p = 0.007); walk 2.44 m and sit (p = 0.005); walk 6 min. (p = 0.005)
Such findings indicate that the swimming intervention was effective in improving the women’s physical fitness, since after 12 weeks of training they performed more repetitions in the sit-to-stand and the elbow flexion tests, walked a greater distance in the 6 min. walking test, and executed the 2.44 m walk and sit test in a shorter time
Summary
Reduced physical fitness from the age of sixty is clearly perceived, in sport performance, but in everyday activities (Matsudo, 2013) Changes during this process are related to performance of movements and daily tasks, as well as with psychological diseases and disorders affecting an individual’s emotional state (Ascencio & Pujals, 2015). Physical exercises and sport modalities are important in maintaining one’s physical fitness as well as emotional and psychological aspects (Cordeiro, Del Castillho, Freitas, & Gonçalves, 2014). Some sport modalities, such as running, fights, collective and individual sports, or mind sports are great physical and neural stimulators (Daolio, 2008)
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