Prática Da Hidroginástica No Nível Da Flexibilidade De Idosas

Abstract

Aging is a natural physiological phenomenon of living beings, progressive and inevitable, that causes changes in the body systems, among them the gradual loss of flexibility that is associated with the aging process, and consequently one of the major causes of movement reduction , interfering directly in the functionality of individuals. Aim to verify the level of flexibility of elderly women practicing water aerobics. It is a research of experimental character, descriptive and of quantitative approach. Fifty-one elderly women aged 60 to 80 years old, practicing hydrogymnastics, enrolled in the Active Life Extension Project in the second semester of 2018 participated in the study. The instruments used to collect the data were: clinical record of the PEVA and the Bank of Wells. The data collected were evaluated by the normative cutoff values of the percentile score of the AAHPERD test battery, a result of the research for the degree of flexibility of the elderly ranged from very weak (74.5%), weak (19.6%), regular (3.9%), good (2.0%) and none reached very good. The elderly women who participated in the study had a mean age of 69.53; body weight of at least 50.5 and maximum of 108.0 kg and average height of 1.50. Considering the studies carried out and the analysis of this research it is possible to affirm that the regular practice of water gymnastics is considered as one of the most suitable physical exercises for people with pathologies and advanced age, contributing to the acquisition or maintenance of flexibility.