The influence of physical activity on balance, risk and fear of fall in the elderly / A influência da atividade física no equilíbrio, risco e medo de queda em idosos

The purpose is to evaluate possible relationships between the level of structured physical exercise and the risk of falls in the elderly. The volunteers were elderly of both genders aged from 60 to 70 years old, sorted into 3 groups, which were: Structured Exercise Group (SEG); Sufficiently Active Group (SAG); Insufficiently Active Group (IAG). For data collecting, validated tools were used, being the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I-BRASIL) and Test Up and Go (TUG) for the level of physical activity, risk of fall, and mobility, respectively. In addition, perimetry of the abdomen, waist, and hip were collected, in addition to body mass and height. It was found that the level of physical activity is directly related to the fear of falls and that the exercises structured by a professional and Physical Education further reduce this fear.