Physical exercise in older adults incorporated into the Grandparents' House.

Abstract

Introduction: Physical exercise causes physiological, psychological and social benefits. In Cuba, the Geriatric Education Centers and the Grandparent's House were created to promote their social integration and offer them special health education; incorporate them into physical, recreational and creative activities. Objective: to verify the influence of physical exercise in the elderly of the Grandparent's House of Cárdenas municipality in 2019. Method: descriptive study. The universe that coincides with the sample was made up of all older adults, with prior informed consent. An interview was designed for data collection. The variables were used: age, gender, personal pathological history, length of stay, history of physical exercises before joining the Grandparent's House and perception of the benefits received. Results: The age group of 60-74 years predominated, and the male gender. Osteomyoarticular diseases prevailed, and the residence time of 1 - 5 years. The largest number of older adults did not perform physical exercises before joining the institution. The most prevalent reported benefit was improvement in interpersonal relationships and ease of movement.