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Aim. To describe exercise preferences and to investigate the contribution of exercise preferences, walking ability, and current levels of physical activity in predicting exercise adherence in individuals with chronic stroke. Methods. For this exploratory study, exercise adherence was measured using the first question of the first section of the Exercise Preference Questionnaire (stroke)-Brazil (EPQ (stroke)-Brazil). Nine independent variables were included as potential predictors of exercise adherence: the seven factors of the EPQ (stroke)-Brazil, walking speed, and level of physical activity. Results. Participated 93 individuals with stroke, who had a mean age of 62 (SD 12) years and a mean time since the onset of the stroke of 58 (SD 67) months. The most preferable exercise was walking. Logistic regression analysis revealed that self-efficacy to engage in physical exercise and walking ability predicted and explained 80% of the variance in exercise adherence. Conclusion. The findings showed that feeling able to perform physical exercise and having higher walking ability predicted higher exercise adherences in individuals with chronic stroke. The knowledge of potential contributors to exercise adherence may help in designing exercise programs for individuals with stroke.

Gait variability is related to functional decline in the elderly. The dual-task Timed Up and Go Test (TUG-DT) reflects the performance in daily activities. Objective: To evaluate the differences in time to perform the TUG with and without DT in elderly women with different ages and levels of education and physical activity. Method: Ninety-two elderly women perfomed the TUG at usual and fast speeds, with and without motor and cognitive DT. Results: Increases in the time to perform the TUG-DT were observed at older ages and lower educational levels, but not at different levels of physical activity. More educated women performed the test faster with and without DT at both speeds. When age was considered, significant differences were found only for the TUG-DT at both speeds. Conclusion: Younger women with higher education levels demonstrated better performances on the TUG-DT.Keywords: elderly, gait, Timed Up and Go, dual task. RESUMOAlterações da marcha são indícios de declínio funcional em idosos. O TUG com dupla tarefa (TUG-DT) reflete o desempenho das atividades do cotidiano. Objetivo: Avaliar as diferenças no tempo de execução do TUG com e sem DT em idosas com diferentes faixas etárias, e níveis de escolaridade e atividade física. Método: Noventa e duas idosas foram avaliadas pelo TUG nas velocidades usual e máxima, sem e com DT cognitiva e motora. Resultados: Houve aumento no tempo de execução do TUG-DT em idosas com maior faixa etária e menor escolaridade, mas não para diferentes níveis de atividade física. Aquelas com maior escolaridade realizaram o teste mais rápido com e sem DT nas duas velocidades. Com relação à faixa etária, foram obervadas diferenças apenas nos testes com DT nas duas velocidades. Conclusão: Idosas mais jovens com maior escolaridade demonstraram um melhor desempenho no TUG com DT.Palavras-chave: idosos, marcha, teste Timed Up and Go, dupla tarefa.The aging rate has been growing rapidly worldwide in the last decades, and this has exerted strong influences on the dynamics of the society development 1 , with increases in chronic and degenerative diseases, higher dependency indices, and high rates of institutionalization and hospitalization 1 . Functional capacity (FC) refers to the competence of the individuals to preserve their physical and mental abilities necessary for an independent life. FC is an important marker of healthy, independent, and successful aging and has a positive impact on quality of life, especially regarding motor abilities 2 . Changes in gait patterns and speeds are related to difficulties in performing everyday activities, and indicate functional declines and hospitalization in individuals above 75 years of age 3,4 . Several studies have shown increased activation and inter-relations of brain structures related to cognition and