Effects of Different Types of Physical Exercise on the Perceived Quality of Life in Active Elderly

There is a lack of knowledge about the influence of individual physical activities on the quality of life (QoL) of older adults, especially in strength training and swimming, two popular activities.

To assess and compare the perceived QoL levels among sedentary, swimming and strength training groups in elderly individuals.

Twenty one subjects were evaluated: 9 sedentary, 10 swimming and 12 strength training. Physical activity levels were assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire short version, and the physical, psychological, social and environmental domains, as well the general QoL of each group, were assessed through the World Health Organization questionnaire short version. In addition, the contribution of each domain in general QoL was also verified.

The sedentary group presented a statistically lower score in each variable examined (p<0.05). The physical domain was higher only in the strength training group and the psychological and social domains were higher only in the swimming group. In relation to the influence on general QoL, the physical domain (i.e., sedentary); the physical and psychological domains (i.e., swimming) and the social and environmental domains (i.e., strength training) were statistically significant.

The results suggest that the QoL levels were always lower in the sedentary group. However, the determination of the domain depended on the physical activity level of each subject. Further, the domains with better scores were not necessarily the ones that showed a higher association with the general QoL in each group.