Efeitos da caminhada estruturada de 12 minutos na saúde de idosos

Abstract

Population aging is a global phenomenon that highlights the importance of lung health in the quality of life of the elderly. With the increase in the number of elderly people, understanding the physiological changes, especially in lung function, is important. Promoting healthy aging through physical activities is essential to prevent diseases and improve autonomy. Objective: To investigate whether walking could improve peak expiratory flow (PEF) in the elderly, with the aim of understanding how physical activity influences lung function. Methodology: The study took place over 9 weeks, with 16 participants undergoing 12-minute walks, three times a week. The progression of the distance walked was adjusted every three weeks based on the individuality of each volunteer. Results: In the study, 9 elderly people were initially evaluated, but only 7 participants met all the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 5 females and 2 males. The results showed a reduction in peak expiratory flow (PEF) after the 12-minute walking intervention: the initial mean PEF was 247.14 L/min (standard deviation 30.93) and, after the intervention, the mean decreased to 191.42 L/min, with a median of 190 and an increase in the standard deviation to 73.35. However, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.14), possibly due to the small sample size, short duration of the intervention or variation in results. Discussion: Possible reasons for the lack of improvement in PEF were explored, including hormonal factors, sarcopenia and sample size, highlighting the need for more personalized and prolonged interventions. Conclusion: Although the 12- minute walk did not demonstrate statistically significant improvements in PEF, it highlighted the importance of investigations with larger samples and longer interventions to confirm the effects of this activity on the lung health of older adults.