EFFECTS AND BENEFITS OF PHYSICAL EXERCISE IN THE ELDERLY

Introduction: exercise in the elderly can increase disability-free years at the end of life.Objective: synthesis of the scientific production on the effects of physical exercise in people over 65 years of age.Method: search in Pub-Med, Scopus and Cochrane library of publications carried out in the last 5 years. Applying the search strategy: "((exercise) AND (senescence OR elderly)) AND (physical benefits)". The articles had to be peer-reviewed, with no language restriction.Results: 15 articles were found after the review of the scientific production. The data collected indicate that regular exercise during adulthood provides benefits such as aortic rejuvenation, increased physical endurance, balance, increases functionality and decreases the risk of frailty, contributes to correct circadian rhythms and increases insulin sensitivity, among other functions that increase quality of life.Conclusions: the practice of exercise in people over 65 years of age seems to indicate important physical and psycho-social benefits that contribute in a multifactorial way to the quality of life.