PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PHYSICAL STATUS OF WOMEN OVER 60 YEARS OLD

APPLIED EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND PHYSICAL STATUS OF WOMEN OVER 60 YEARS OLD

Mitsakis I.^1,2, Nousios G² Lyrtzis C², Tsermakian T²,
¹Gynaecological-Oncological Clinic of Anticancer Hospital "Theageneion" of Thessaloniki,
²Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, Serres, A.U.Th. Greece.

Introduction. The aim of this survey was to study the physical status of women over 60 years old and to examine the association between physical capacity and physical activity in this particular period of their life, investigating the effect of physical exercise in those women who had systematic or periodic physical exercise.
Materials/Methods. 380 women from Northern Hellas were studied, aged between 61 to 90 years (mean age of 75 years). The individuals were separated into groups depending on age and other specific characteristics. The data collection was made using the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity Questionnaire (RAPA). Individuals completed the questionnaire, giving details of their Physical Activity and Physical Status before and after the age of 60 years.
Results. There was shown to be a correlation between physical status and physical activity. The physical status was very good for 50%, medium for 33% and good for 10% of those women who had continued their physical activities over 60 years. The physical status was fairly good for 3%, and bad for 4% of those women who had not continued their physical activities over 60 years.  There will be a detailed presentation on the results of this study.
Conclusions. An important percentage of women continuing their physical activities over 60 years old maintain their physical status at satisfactory levels for the normal function of their organism, permitting them to have good autonomy in their lives, especially into very old age.
Key words: physical activity, physical status, physical capacity, third age, women’s health.