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Updated: May 15, 2026
A Training Program Using an Agility Ladder for Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Published on: March 7, 2020
[Strength, flexibility, balance, resistance and flexibility assessment according to body mass index in active older
Raquel Vaquero-Cristóbal1, Ignacio Martínez González-Moro, Fernando Alacid Cárceles
1Instituto de Investigación en Envejecimiento, Universidad de Murcia, Campus Mare Nostrum, Murcia, España. raquel.vaquero@um.es
Introduction:
Overweight and obesity are increasing at an alarming rate among older people. This is mainly because this population is predominantly sedentary. The aim of this study was to classify, according to the body mass index (BMI), a group of older active women and to evaluate the different basic physical abilities as a function of this.
Material And Methods:
The BMI and fitness were evaluated in 60 elderly active women (mean age: 66.14 ± 6.59 years) using the 2-minute step test, arm curl test, chair stand test, back scratch test, chair-sit and reach-test, flamenco test, and 8-foot up-and-go test.
Results:
It was found that 52.23% of the women studied had a normal BMI and 47.76% were slightly overweight. There were no cases of obesity or underweight. Women with normal BMI had better values in all tests than overweight women. Significant differences were found in the flamenco test (P<.05), and 8-foot up-and-go test (P<.01).
Conclusions:
Older women who usually do physical activity had a normal or slightly overweight BMI. It was also found that women with lower BMI have better resistance, flexibility, balance and strength.
