Comparative study of the effects of two programs of physical exercises in flexibility and balance of healthy elderly individuals with and without major depression.

Objective: To assess flexibility and balance in healthy elderly subjects with or without major depression, by means of two different programs: aerobic exercises and flexibility and balance exercises.

Methods: A randomized, double-blind controlled study in which each sample was the control of itself. Research subjects were 19 healthy elderly individuals, aged between 60 and 90 years, of both genders, referred to the Department of Geriatrics of the Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, with or without the diagnosis of major depression, and sedentary or that had not engaged in physical activity for at least 6 months.

Correlation between two physical activity programs in the gait of sedentary elderly subjects.

Objectives: To assess the effect of exercise on gait using two different programs: a group of aerobic exercises (Group A, n = 18) and a group of flexibility and balance exercises (Group B, n = 19).

Methods: A casualized controlled study, in which each sample controlled itself, was undertaken. The sample comprised 37 male and female subjects, aged from 60 to 90 years, from the outpatient clinic of the Geriatrics Unit of Hospital das Clínicas of Faculdade de Medicina of Universidade de São Paulo; the patients were sedentary and had not exercised regularly during the past six months.