Impacto do exercício físico na aptidão física de adultos: uma coorte retrospectiva

The aim of the study was to analyze the impacts of physical exercise on health-related physical fitness. This is a retrospective cohort, quantitative, exploratory, comparative and longitudinal study with an interval of 12 years. Information was collected from 198 people enrolled in the gym between 2007 and 2009, and in 2019, 40 of these individuals, aged 40 to 60 years, were again interviewed and evaluated using the same data collection instruments previously used. Anthropometric and physical fitness variables were collected. The results showed that individuals who continued to exercise regularly during the last twelve years, when compared to those who did not stay active, are more fit regarding health, although with statistical significance only in the variables weight (p = 0.004), mass index. body (p = 0.001); percentage of fat (p = 0.039) and waist circumference (p = 0.006). Thus, it is concluded that individuals who are physically active for prolonged periods are more physically fit for health and that regular exercise has a positive impact on health-related physical fitness, proving that this practice is an important strategy for health promotion.