WATER-BASED EXERCISE improves fitness of older people

All members of the training group completed the Twelve week exercise program without any injuries. Tables accompanying the study indicate that there was no significant changes in heart rate or blood pressure. Muscle strength did increase in the training group as did oxygen uptake. 

Individuals in the exercise group showed improvement in several other health-related components of fitness, including flexibility, muscle strength, agility and loss of subcutaneous fat. The research group noted that there were no significant differences at baseline between the training group and the non-training group in age or resting heart rate/blood pressure, nor were there differences in weight or body composition.

While strongly recommending that water-based exercise be part of a well-rounded fitness program for older people, the research also indicated that exercises to use back muscles should also be added. Exercises that would relate directly to the performance of common activities of daily living, such as lower body strength, would benefit from further study to explore the effect of water-based exercise on reducing the incidence of falls and injuries in older persons.