Exercício físico e o idoso potiguar

Abstract

The current Brazilian scenario and future perspectives point to an exponential growth in the number of elderly people, so there is a need to look at the care that must be taken in old age, through the transformations that occur in the body, such as decreased immunity, decrease in muscle mass, dependence, among others. Given these factors, practicing physical exercise on a daily basis brings several benefits to the elderly, making them more active and less prone to pathologies. The objective of this study was to carry out research to analyze the level of adherence, permanence and frequency of physical exercise practice by the elderly, the motivational factors, the main difficulties and main diseases reported. To this end, a cross-sectional descriptive research was carried out where a questionnaire was applied to elderly people living in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, with questions regarding the practice of physical exercise and other information. After analyzing the data, a low adherence to physical exercise was identified by the interviewees. The main motivational factors cited were health and physical fitness. Among the pathologies reported, hypertension stood out as the predominant disease among the participants. The main practices mentioned by interviewees were weight training and walking. Lack of disposition and pain in general were the most cited factors that hinder the practice. Therefore, the importance of knowledge of this profile by the physical education professional is highlighted in order to use strategies to reduce the factors that make it difficult to carry out activities and to value and explore their motivations.