Barreiras percebidas para a prática de exercícios físicos por pessoas idosas atendidas na unidade docente assistencial da Universidade Federal de Alagoas

Abstract

Ageing is a natural process, part of the life cycle and causing changes. The deleterious effects of aging cause a decrease in strength, flexibility, cardiorespiratory endurance and balance. Preserving these physical qualities is essential for the prevention of various diseases and for people's autonomy. Physical exercise (PE) can be considered an effective strategy for minimizing the negative impacts of the ageing process on the body. To this end, it is essential to identify the barriers that prevent elderly people from practicing physical exercise. The aim of this study was to verify the perceived barriers to the practice of physical exercise by elderly people treated at the Teaching and Assistance Unit of the Federal University of Alagoas. The sample consisted of 35 people, 10 men and 25 women, aged between 60 and 84. In absolute numbers, the average age of the participants was 68 and the standard deviation was 5.66. The Questionnaire on Barriers to the Practice of Physical Activities for the Elderly (Hirayama, 2006) was used as a data collection tool. It consisted of 22 questions and the answer options for each question were: yes or no. In percentages, the perceived barriers were as follows. In terms of percentages, the barriers perceived and most cited by the participants were: 28.57% answered that the lack of company makes it difficult to practice PE, 34.14% think they are too fat or too thin to practice PE; 34.29% feel too lazy or unmotivated to practice PE; 37.14% that they have some illness, injury or physical disability that makes it difficult or impossible to perform PE; 37.14% that their health is too bad to practice PE and 37.14% that they lack the energy to practice PE. The main perceived barriers in the survey were: the lack of safety in the environment (violence) for practicing PE with 57.14%, the difficulty of practicing PE due to lack of money with 60% and the lack of adequate facilities for practicing PE close to home with 68.57%. Among the barriers mentioned, 100% of those interviewed said they believed that PE was good for their health. It can therefore be concluded that although they are aware of the health benefits of physical exercise, various barriers prevent them from adhering to a systematic practice of exercise. It is therefore necessary for public policies to be developed with a view to providing the elderly with a safe environment and spaces with adequate facilities for practicing physical exercise.