Purpose To measure the effects of an exercise program on the physical capacities of older adults such as strength, flexibility, balance, and aerobic capacity. Patients and Methods This was a quasi-experimental study on a population of 5550 older adults and a sample of 4830 participants in an active aging program designed by the Municipal Health Secretary. The exercise program lasted 12 months, and pre-and post-program intervention measures were recorded using the senior fitness test. Results Most participants were women (92.4%) and their mean age was 70.7 years (standard deviation, 7.3 years; range, 60–97 years). All areas showed significant differences before and after the program in terms of the participants’ physical capabilities ( p < 0.05), muscular strength and flexibility had a more significant mean difference and a large effect (>0.80), except for aerobic capacity, which had a small effect. Conclusion The present study revealed that a supervised physical exercise program at the community level has positive effects on the physical capacities of coordination, balance, flexibility, strength, and aerobic capacity, which are essential components for a better functional capacity at this stage of life, with improvements that encompassed the improved self-perception of their health status, a reduction of overweight and obesity. The reinforcement of these programs is recommended, consequently, promoting pre-sport games and sports championships among the elderly population, as a public health strategy.
Objective To describe the use of dance-based intervention protocols as a rehabilitation proposal. Method Papers containing protocols used in adult patients and written in Spanish, English, and Portuguese were collected using the following keywords: Physical Therapy; Dance Therapy; Rehabilitation; and Clinical Trial Protocol. The PUBMED, MEDLINE, LILACS, BVS ScienceDirect, PEDro, OTseeker, The Cochrane Library (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), and Scopus databases were used for the collection of information to define the type of dance, the established protocol, pathologies, and the population involved. Results 70 studies met the eligibility criteria, all of which presented a dance protocol. This was used in the rehabilitation of pathologies covering the neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular systems, as well as in a healthy population. Positive results were the main outcome measure. Discussion Dance is an innovative intervention strategy for patients with comorbidities or underlying pathologies as well as for those in good health. It offers, without limitations, a field of applicability through the use of a dancing style as a rehabilitation process, generating significant changes in the physical, mental, and social skills of the individual.
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