The effects of a 12-week aquatic training intervention on the quality of life of healthy elderly men: a randomized controlled trial

Background and purpose Although there has been risen investigations and clinical attention to the impacts that physical activity has on the quality of life (QoL) of the elderly, there is a lack of evidence regarding applying aquatic exercise training in this population. This study aimed to determine whether an aquatic training intervention improves QoL among healthy elderly men. Methods A total of 40 elderly men aged 66-86 years were recruited from the Department of Education Retirees. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to a 12-week aquatic training regimen (exercise group) or a non-exercise control group. The exercise group performed three 45-min sessions per week. Data were collected using a Survey short form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire before and after the intervention. Results The aquatic training intervention induced significant improvements in physical (84.6% vs - 1.4%; P < 0.001) and mental (57.1% vs - 11.3%; P < 0.001) health component score in comparison with the control condition. Conclusion The findings showed that the aquatic training intervention could be an efficient strategy that helps to ameliorate the physical and mental aspects linked to aging and may be an important preventive approach for the future risks in this population.