Evaluate the effects of a eight weeks program of strengthening exercise on balance and functional mobility in irregular active elderly women

Strength training The strength training for lower limbs muscles occurred twice a week, 40 minutes per session for eight consecutive weeks.

n the first two weeks of training, each elderly performed the exercises with 50% of its load defined in 8RM test, increasing to 60 and 70% of the load in the third and fourth subsequent weeks, respectively. After this period, a new evaluation by 8RM strength test was conducted, adopting the fifth and sixth weeks of training 50% of value of the new load defined in 8RM test and to finalize the program in seventh and eighth weeks applied, respectively, 60% and 70% of the new charge. The exercises were performed for the quadriceps, hamstrings, muscles adductor and abductor hip.

The TUG allows a quantitative assessment of gait and mobility, enabling the investigation of the effects of a particular intervention on these parameters (Van Iersel et al., 2008). The TUG is a sensitive test, is a good option of choice to be used as the primary outcome measure in clinical trials to improve gait and mobility (Van Iersel et al., 2008). It allows the researcher to observe the sitting balance of transfers from sitting to standing position and vice versa, as well as stability while walking and walking course changes.

For the application of TUG has asked the elderly up from a chair without armrest from the recumbent position, wander around a distance of 3 meters safely and quickly, turn, return on the same route and the chair again with the back supported on back. Performance was assessed by timing the time required for the completion of the test. The time taken for the test is determining the risk for falls, classified as low, when the time spent on the test is less than

To the risk of falls in the elderly, the Romberg test is an effective method, since its completion provides anteroposterior instability or increased body sway. For this test, in the standing position the participants remained with the feet together, aligned head and arms along the body. Then, it was requested that, keeping the position described, the participants close their eyes for a period of 30 seconds. Later, the same test was repeated, but on shaky ground when the participant was left standing position on a foam surface, requesting again the closing of the eyes. A procedure again observing the imbalance with time record in seconds, before its occurrence.

To evaluate muscle strength and determination of the optimal load training to strengthen the lower limbs the investigators used the strength test eight maximum repetitions (8RM) for each proposed exercise. The 8RM test corresponded to the maximum load that could be raised by the participants throughout the normal range of motion, maintaining the proper technique in eight repetitions (Canuto et al., 2011). Before starting the test was performed 8RM heating with 10 repetitions without any charge to the motion that would run the test and after two minutes the test was started. The materials used were shinguards 0.5 kg to 5 kg.