Background: Aging is related to an increase in the prevalence of noncommunicable diseases and impairments in health-related quality of life. Physical activity is a nonpharmacological intervention that is known to prevent and manage noncommunicable diseases and improve quality of life. Objectives: To compare the quality of life, as measured by the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), of elderly participants and nonparticipants in a community physical activity program. Methods: One hundred elderly men and women (age > 60 years) who were either sedentary (sedentary [S] group; n = 50, 30 men) or physically active and attended a community physical activity program (physical activity [PA] group; n = 50, 30 men) took part in the study. All participants completed the SF-36 subscales to assess their quality of life. Results: The PA group reported higher values on the functioning capacity and general health perceptions subscales of the SF-36 when compared with the S group. Conversely, scores on the following SF-36 subscales did not differ between the groups: role limitations due to physical problems, pain, vitality, social functioning, role limitations due to emotional problems, and mental health. A ceiling effect was evident in both groups for all SF-36 subscales. Conclusions: The SF-36 subscales were not sufficiently sensitive to detect differences between the S and PA groups (except for functioning capacity and general health perceptions), probably because of ceiling effects.

Trunk muscle strength and control is an important prerequisite for everyday activities among elderly people decreasing the predisposition to falls. High levels of physical exercise performed by older athletes could offer benefits to core/trunk muscle strength and postural control compared with recreational physical activities and among elderly people with lower levels of physical activity. The present study aimed to compare trunk muscle strength and postural control of older running athletes vs. older physically active adults. Participants were master road runners (RUN, n = 15, six women, 64.3 ± 3.6 years) and physically active elderly (control group, CON, n = 15, six women, 65.4 ± 5.0 years) people that were submitted to the evaluations: esthesiometer, posturography (force plate), and isokinetic test (Biodex dynamometer) of trunk muscle extension and flexion. RUN presented higher values for relative peak torque of trunk extensor muscles at 60°/s (p = 0.046) and 180°/s (p = 0.007) and relative average power during trunk extension at 60°/s (p = 0.008) and 180°/s (p = 0.004) compared to CON. CON had a higher medial-lateral oscillation speed of the center of pressure in the stable condition with eyes closed (p = 0.004) compared to RUN. RUN presented higher isokinetic torque of extensor trunk muscles and better postural control than CON. This supposedly could help with postural control and balance and contribute to the prevention of falls among the elderly. The practice of running systematically by master athletes may partially explained our findings.

Background and objectives: There are studies showing that exercise counseled by health professionals can improve physical fitness. However, less is known about the effects of exercise counseling on quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate health-related quality of life of older adults who received or did not receive physical exercise counseling by sport and exercise professionals or physicians. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that investigated quality of life of older adults who did or did not receive exercise counseling from health professionals. Older adults who were physically active took part in this study: 45 participants performed exercise advised by sport and exercise professionals (SEPCG), 19 participants performed exercise advised by physicians (PCG), and 26 participants performed exercise without counseling (NCG). Participants answered the SF-36 to estimate quality of life. Results: Analysis revealed that responses on all SF-36 subscales were higher in those participants who received counseling by sport and exercise professionals (Functioning capacity, β = −26.283, p < 0.001 and β = −26.482, p < 0.001, Role limitations due to physical problems, β = −43.372, p < 0.001 and β = −45.177, p < 0.001, Pain, β = −17.634, p < 0.001 and β = −16.015, p < 0.001, General health perceptions, β = −38.008, p < 0.001 and β = −32.529, p < 0.001, Vitality, β = −18.573, p < 0.001 and β = −16.406, p = 0.001, Social functioning, β = −37.963, p < 0.001 and β = −29.224, p < 0.001, Role limitations due to emotional problems, β = −52.246, p < 0.001 and β = −40.173, p < 0.001, Mental health, β = −17.381, p < 0.001 and β = −12.121, p < 0.001, PCG and NCG respectively). Conclusions: The results showed that those older adults who were counseled by sport and exercise professionals presented better quality of life, possibly because these professionals counseled exercise based on current guidelines for exercise prescription.