Strategy for the benefit of functional physical condition in the elderly

Abstract

Aging is a process that occurs throughout the life cycle from a broad perspective, occurring from birth to death. The older adult is in a stage full of wisdom and wealth, the result of the experience acquired through growth and development. Between 2000 and 2050, the proportion of the world's population that is 60 years of age or older will double. In Belize the general mortality rate is 5.5 per 1000 inhabitants. The main causes of death are chronic diseases. Benefiting the functional physical condition in the elderly population and increasing the number of years free of disability is an advantage for public health, which is why we have set ourselves the objective of designing a strategy that benefits the functional physical condition in the elderly. The methodology to be used is related to a physical activity program for the population served at the HelpAge institutions of Santa Cecilia and San Ignacio, taking into account the inclusion, exclusion and therapeutic failure criteria. Exploratory and confirmatory statistical techniques were applied in the processing and analysis of the information. In the tests carried out at the beginning and end of the research, strength, cardiorespiratory endurance and flexibility were measured, the results being significant, which is why we recommend continuing to work in the direction of the objectives set and in this way promoting a better quality of life in the older adult in Belize.