Evaluation of balance, mobility and flexibility in active and sedentary elderly women

OBJECTIVES: To compare balance, mobility and flexibility in elderly women who do not practice physical exercises and who practice aerobic and resistance exercises. METHODS: Fifty-five women between 60 and 81 years were evaluated, divided in four groups based on reported physical activity in the 12 months prior to assessment: Non-Practitioners of Physical Exercise (NPEF; n=22), Practitioners of Aerobic and Resistance Physical Exercise (PEFAR; n=15), Practitioners of Resistance Physical Exercise (PEFR, n=9) and Practitioners of Aerobic Physical Exercises (PEFA, n=9). Balance evaluation was assessed using the Berg Balance Scale; mobility by the Timed Up and Go test and flexibility through the Sit and Reach test. Anova test and Kruskal-Wallis and Newman-Keuls tests were used for normal and non-normal data, respectively. Level of significance was (p