The effects of a recreational exercise program with differentiated frequency on functional capacity and daily activities patterns in older women

Abstract

The purpose of this study was, first, to evaluate the effects of a 12-week recreational exercise program on the level of physical abilities and on the level ofdaily activities of 55 sedentary elderly women, aged 60 to 75, and second, toexamine the minimal amount of exercise needed to produce these changes. Thevariables used to test the functional capacity were dynamic balance, muscularendurance, sit and reach flexibility, and muscular coordination. The variablesthat tested the daily physical activity (ADL) were 20 of the most habitual dailymovement activities among the elderly. The subjects were allocated to 3 exercise groups (n =15 each) and 1 control group (n =10). Exercise was performedfor 1 hour, 3 times, twice, and once a week for the 3 experimental groups, respectively. The subjects were tested before and after the 12-week exercise intervention on the selected variables. The effects of the 12-week training program were significant (p