Desafios da implantação de um grupo de atividade física para idosos residentes na zona rural do município de Caicó (RN) - um relato de experiência

Abstract

Regular physical exercise improves physical, mental, and social health at all ages, especially among the elderly, who face greater challenges in maintaining an active lifestyle. In Brazil, Primary Health Care focuses on prevention, health promotion, and rehabilitation, including leisure and physical activity programs for the elderly. The implementation of physical activity groups for the elderly is an additional challenge for Family Health Teams in rural areas. This qualitative, observational, and descriptive study reports the experience of implementing a physical activity group with elderly people from the Family Health Strategy of Sabugi, a rural area of the municipality of Caicó (RN). Functional exercises with alternating periodization between upper and lower limbs were performed in weekly one-hour meetings over four months. The results showed good adherence with a predominance of women, who reported a sense of belonging, improvement in chronic pain, and recovery of the capacity for daily activities. It was suggested to expand the project, with new groups and expansion to other rural communities with similar difficulties in accessing health services. It was concluded that the experience was positive, highlighting the benefits of physical activity for the elderly and the feasibility of its implementation in rural areas.