Water Exercises for the Frail Elderly: A Pilot Programme

With an ageing Australian population, exercise programmes for the elderly and frail elderly are becoming increasingly more important. It is suggested that gentle water exercise is the most appropriate form of activity for frail elderly, and therefore, a pilot programme was conducted and evaluated. The results show a statistically significant positive increase on a scale of affect on a pre- and post-programme questionnaire (F = 7.35, P <.05).

Participants also reported other benefits from the programme. While no objective physical measurements were made the psychological benefits of the programme were identified as important factors motivating the frail elderly to commence, and maintain, regular physical activity, and ultimately be more independent in activities of daily living.