The Effect of a Water Exercise Course on Body Composition and Quality of Life of Overweight Elderly Men

Old age is always associated with inactivity, obesity and many physical, mental and psychological problems. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of 8 weeks of aerobic exercise in water on body composition and quality of life of overweight elderly men.

In this quasi-experimental study, 34 elderly (mean age: 66±4 years old) and overweight (BMI≥25 kg/m2) men were randomly selected and randomly divided into two groups of water training (n=17) and control (n=17).  The exercise program included aerobic exercise in water with an intensity of 45 to 65% of maximum heart rate for 8 weeks. At the beginning and end of the training period, body composition indicators, as well as the quality of life of the elderly, were evaluated according to the questionnaire of The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF)

Exercise in water significantly reduced fat percentage (P£0.03), weight (P£0.01), body mass index (P£0.01) and waist to hip ratio (P£0.001) in overweight elderly men. These exercises also significantly increased the quality of life (P£0.01). In addition to the overall quality of life score, its sub-components including physical health (P£0.05), mental health (P£0.03), social relations (P£0.00) and environmental health (P£0.01) were also improved.

8 weeks of aerobic exercise in water can improve anthropometric parameters, increase quality of life and physical health in overweight elderly men. Therefore, these exercises can be recommended by sports and health experts to these people.