Impact of a Kinesiotherapy Program on Soil and Aquatic Environment on Motor Fitness and Quality of Life of Elders.
Condition: Elderly
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Introduction: Neuromotor losses are those that most affect the functionality of the elderly
      person. One of the preventive measures is the habit of practicing exercises regularly.
      Objective: To evaluate the motor fitness and the quality of life of elders before and after
      intervention, performed on soil and aquatic environment. Methodology: This was a randomized
      controlled trial, with blind evaluator and total sample of 38 elders, divided into three
      groups: control (n=15), soil (n=15), swimming pool (n=8). The following research instruments
      were used: socio-demographic data and health conditions, International Physical Activity
      Questionnaire (IPAQ), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Motor Scale for the Elders (MSE)
      and Quality of Life Questionnaire Short Form-36 (SF-36). The elders were submitted to a
      physiotherapeutic program during six months. Data were analyzed by statistical software
      Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS 20.0). Results: When comparing motor fitness
      averages after intervention by study group, the soil group had higher mean values for the
      fine motor (p=0.021), body scheme (p=0.006), space organization (p=0.011) and general motor
      fitness (p=0.004) than the control group. In the quality of life, when comparing intra-group
      means, both intervention groups had higher averages in the general health aspect domain
      (p=0.001 and p=0.005 for the soil and swimming pool groups, respectively). Conclusion: This
      study showed that the soil group presented significantly higher means than the control group
      after the intervention, and the intra-group quality of life improved in both the soil as the
      swimming pool.
    

Detailed description: 
      The recruitment occurred in the period from October to November 2015 and the intervention was
      carried out from January to July 2016.

      Trained evaluators applied the research instruments, the data were collected in the Faculty
      of Health Sciences of Trairi (FACISA). Other volunteers were responsible for conducting the
      intervention, other than those that evaluated.

      A physiotherapeutic exercise program was applied during a period of six months, twice a week,
      with duration of 1 hour each session, assessing the elders before and after six months of
      intervention.

      The same exercise program was performed, both on soil as in the swimming pool, following
      these steps: (1) measurement of vital signs at the beginning and at the end of the
      intervention: Systemic Arterial Pressure (SAP), Heart Rate (HR), Oxygen Saturation (Sp02),
      (2) Stretching from the lateral flexors of the cervical spine, elbow flexors and extensors,
      trunk lateral flexors, flexors and extensors of hip with support of 30 seconds (1x30), (3)
      aerobic workout through front and lateral gait walking for 20 minutes, (4) resisted exercise
      for upper limbs (anterior, middle and posterior deltoid, biceps, triceps) and to the lower
      limbs (abductors, flexors and extensors of hip and flexors and extensors knee, calf), using
      dumbbells and shin guards for the resistance (20 minutes), (5) balance and proprioception
      training through front and backward walking on mattresses, march in a straight line with one
      foot in front of the other, one-feet support orthostatism, touching some points marked on the
      ground with the toe (15 minutes).

      The resisted exercise was conducted based on one maximum repetition (1MR), being used a 60%
      load, increasing the number of repetitions (2 repetitions) every month, starting with 2 sets
      of 8 repetitions in the first month, 2x10, 2x12, 2x14, 2x16 in the second, third, fourth and
      fifth month, respectively, ending with 2 x 18 with 60% of 1MR load and rest time of one
      minute between each series using dumbbells and shin guards for the resistance. In the pool,
      2kg of water was used, maintaining the same series and repetitions in soil. The control group
      did not perform any of the interventions.
    

Intervention name(s): Soil group; Pool group
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): Exercises in soil.; Exercises in pool.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: 3 groups (swimming pool, soil, control group)
Masking: Single (Investigator)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Aging; Physical activity; Motor activity