The Effects of a Short-Term Novel Aquatic Exercise Program on Functional Strength and Performance of Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a short-term novel multidimensional aquatic exercise program on functional abilities of healthy older adults. Twenty-six men and women (mean age 76.33 ± 5.55 years) were recruited and assigned to an aquatic- (n = 15) or land-based (n = 11) training group. The aquatic training group completed a multidimensional water exercise program that incorporated resistance training, functional exercise movements and rudimentary aquatic plyometric activities. The active control group participated in a supervised land-based fitness program. Each exercise intervention was conducted over an 8-week period (16 sessions of 30 - 40 minutes) with the training load progression adjusted equally between groups using the 6 - 20 Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale (RPE). Prior to and immediately following the intervention, both groups were evaluated with select components of the Senior Fitness Test. The 30-second chair stand, 30-second arm curl, and 8 foot up and go were selected as measures of strength and functional abilities. The results of an independent t-test indicated that the control and experimental groups were matched for functional abilities prior to the intervention. A 2 (group) × 2 (time) analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with repeated measures revealed significant differences in the pre- to post-testing measures for the aquatic training program for the arm curl (p < 0.01) and the 8 foot up and go (p = 0.02). Analysis of the active control revealed no pre-post differences for any measure. Thus, a short-term aquatic exercise program with multidimensional intervention strategies will significantly enhance functional abilities in older adults when compared to a functionally matched active control group.