Impact of 12 weeks of resistance training on physical and functional fitness in elderly women

Abstract

The objective of the study was to analyze the impact of 12 weeks of resistance training (RT) on physical functional fitness in elderly women. Fifty-one elderly women (66.1±4.4 years), apparently healthy, insufficiently active, and without prior experience in RT were randomly assigned into two groups: Training Group (TG = 24) and Control Group (CG = 27). The TG was submitted to a standardized RT program composed of eight exercises, performed in two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions, three times a week, and the CG was submitted to a 12 week stretching exercise program composed by two sessions per week of 30 minutes each. Their physical and functional fitness level was analyzed before and after the intervention period by motor testing to assess Right and Left Upper Limb Endurance (RULE, LULE), Lower Limb Endurance (LLE), Flexibility (FLEX), Manual Skills (MS), Ability to Put on Socks (APS), and Coordination (COORD). The TG had improved performance in LLE (+13.8%), RULE (+24.3%), LULE (+22.9%), and MS (- 0.9 s), whereas the CG improved performance in RULE (+13.9%) and LULE (+14.1%), but had increased time in COORD by (+1.5 s), and these were the only tests showing significant interactions of group vs. time (p<0.05). The results suggest that 12 weeks of RT seem to be sufficient to induce positive changes on physical and functional fitness of healthy and previously untrained elderly women.