Physical activity, physical condition and quality of life in older adults. Systematic review

Abstract

Background: The aging of the population together with sedentary lifestyle, can cause a functional deterioration that leads to the decrease of physical condition and quality of life. Promoting active aging can improve the quality of life and physical condition of our elders. Objective: This work aims to investigate the available scientific evidence on the effect of physical activity in older adults, in terms of quality of life, physical condition, and maintenance of functional independence. Material and method: A systematic review was performed in the WOS, SCOPUS and PubMed databases. Selection of articles: Intervention studies evaluating the quality of life and functional capacity of older adults were included. The studies were evaluated according to methodological quality with the PEDro scale. Results: 1331 articles were found, of which 17 were included. Interventions included resistance, strength, balance, coordination, and gait speed exercises. The main findings indicated that a higher rate of physical activity was associated with less impairment of physical and cognitive functions in older adults and, therefore, with a better quality of life. Conclusions: an active lifestyle is associated with a better quality of life, better physical condition and maintenance of functional independence. Other studies, with greater homogeneity in the data collection instruments, with greater frequency of interventions, would be convenient to define the most appropriate exercise programs and to increase the scientific evidence.