Effect of Land-Based and Water-Based Fitness Programs on the Cardiovascular Fitness, Strength and Flexibility of Women Aged 65–75 Years

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a generalized water-based exercise program (WBE) compared to a land-based exercise program (LBE) on improving cardio-respiratory fitness, body composition, forward trunk flexion and strength measurements of elderly women aged 70 ± 3.2 years (mean ± SD). Forty-one healthy, sedentary women were selected to participate in the study and were randomly assigned to the LBE or WBE. The 2 groups exercised for 12 weeks, 3 times/week for 45 min. Fitness testing was done before, during and after training, and included measurements of peak aerobic power (VO₂ peak), forward trunk flexion, sum of skinfolds, grip strength, curl-ups and push-ups. Between the tests performed before and after training, there were significant improvements in VO₂ peak in both groups (p < 0.05) with no significant differences between the groups (p > 0.05). The LBE group also showed a significant improvement in the total number of curl-ups performed (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in trunk forward flexion, total (right plus left) grip strength, push-ups, waist to hip ratio, sum of skin-folds or body mass index between the tests performed before and after training over time within groups or between groups (p > 0.05). The results show that general exercise interventions resulted in improvements in cardiovascular fitness (for both groups) and abdominal endurance (in the LBE only), but the two exercise programs used were not specific enough or long enough to cause improvements in muscular strength, flexibility or body composition. Furthermore, except for changes in abdominal endurance, the type of exercise venue (land vs. water) did not have a significant effect on the results obtained.

A prática da hidroginástica como tratamento complementar para pacientes com transtorno de ansiedade

“…Dessa forma, o exercício físico em imersão, a hidroginástica, está sendo cada vez mais indicado devido aos seus múltiplos benefícios à saúde, promovendo melhoria nos diversos componentes da aptidão física, como força, flexibilidade, composição corporal e condicionamento cardiorrespiratório [35][36][37][38] . Assim, exercícios realizados no meio aquático apresentam um reduzido impacto comparado com o meio terrestre, proporcionando também um ambiente descontraído e atrativo 33,39 e um comportamento de frequência cardíaca e pressão arterial mais baixos 40,41 .…”

Exercise in waist‐high warm water decreases pain and improves health‐related quality of life and strength in the lower extremities in women with fibromyalgia

“…The few studies that compared the effects of land-and water-based exercise programs did not find significant differences in quadriceps strength after 8 weeks of training in healthy young women (32), nor did they find significant differences in trunk or grip strength after 12 weeks of training in healthy older women (33). Earlier studies using land-based resistance training in persons with FM consistently reported strength improvements and, for example, a 24% increase in isometric strength and 39 -51% improvements in 1 maximal repetition strength (34,35).…”

Efeito da utilização de bandas elásticas durante aulas de hidroginástica na força muscular de mulheres

“…Resultados semelhantes aos observados por Taunton et al (15) que não verificaram aumentos significantes na força e resistência muscular após 12 semanas de treinamento de hidroginástica, o que pode ser explicado pela intensidade do treinamento utilizada no estudo não tendo sido suficiente para promover mudanças na força muscular.…”