Benefícios e contribuições da prática da hidroginástica para a saúde e qualidade de vida da pessoa idosa: um estudo de produções científicas brasileiras

Abstract

With the constant growth of the elderly population in Brazil and the search for hydrogymnastics as a physical activity, the question arises about the benefits and contributions that the practice of hydrogymnastics brings to the lives of the elderly. The objective of this research is to analyze the most recent Brazilian scientific production about the practice of hydrogymnastics as a physical activity for the elderly, seeking to understand the contributions of hydrogymnastics in the lives of the elderly, as well as the possible benefits of the practice of hydrogymnastics in relation to flexibility, autonomy, prevention of joint pain, socialization, and quality of life . The method used in this study was an exploratory research on the subject of hydrogymnastics and the elderly, in SciELO, LILACS, Google Scholar, and in the following journals: Revista Brasileira de Educação Física e Esporte, Da Teoria à Prática - Saúde, Educação e Movimento, Revista Brasileira de Ciências dos Esportes, and Revista Brasileira de qualidade de vida. The descriptors used were "Hydrogymnastics", "Elderly", and "quality of life". These search terms were also combined to obtain more precise results: "hydrogymnastics + elderly", "hydrogymnastics + motivation", "elderly + hydrogymnastics + quality of life". The search filter used was articles published within the last 10 years. Thus, we conclude that the practice of hydrogymnastics has proven effective for the elderly, bringing various benefits to the aging process, providing improvements in physiological aspects such as the relief of pain and symptoms of joint diseases, in cardiovascular adaptation and improvement of the respiratory system, as well as improving the quality of life of the elderly practitioner due to the increase in their physical capacity and the gain of autonomy in performing their daily activities.