Psychological aspects in elderly females who practice physical activities and those who do not

Abstract

Introduction: Physical exercise provides benefits to the body and has been increasingly associated with psychosocial well-being and resilience in the elderly people. Objective: To analyze the psychological aspects (happiness, humor, self-esteem and resilience) in elderly female who practice physical activities and those who do not. Method: The study included 164 elderly women; of these participants, 85 belonged to the physical exercise practitioners group (PG), and 79 to the non-practitioners group (NPG). Perceived Stress Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Resilience Scale were used. Results: The elderly female practitioners reported feeling happier (77.6%) and good humored (70.6%). Related to the self-esteem and resilience, there was no significant difference between groups. The participants who claimed feeling more happiness, an improved mood and greater self-esteem showed higher levels of resilience. Conclusion: The practice of physical exercise has favored psychological gains in regard to happiness and humor, and self-esteem correlated positively with resilience level in both groups.