Avaliação da aptidão física de idosas em um Programa de Atividades Físicas

Abstract

Linked to a good physical activity program, there are usually methods to assess the functional capacities of individuals who participate in it. The information generated by this evaluation makes it possible to know the characteristics of the elderly from simple and useful tools, assisting in the diagnosis of the specific limitations of each individual and in the definition of strategies for health promotion, aiming to delay or prevent the disabilities resulting from aging. Thus, the objective of this research was to analyze, in different age groups, the levels of functional physical fitness of elderly women participating in a physical activity program. The study was quantitative and descriptive. The research was carried out in the municipality of Crato – Ceara, in which 47 elderly members of the Health, Fire and Society program participated. For data collection, a questionnaire was applied and an anthropometric assessment and an assessment of physical fitness was carried out, this measured through the battery of tests by Rikli and Jones. It was noticed that all of them presented below average results for the “Six-minute walk” test; the age group with the highest number of tests below the average was between 60 and 64 years, followed by the age group of 74 to 79 years, with two tests. In the general analysis of the results, it can be seen that, regarding aerobic endurance, agility and dynamic balance, the participants showed unsatisfactory results or below average, indicating a deficit in these valences.