Mojtaba Askari - MSc in Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Seyed Reza Mazlom - Instructor of Medical-Surgical Nursing, Evidence-Based Care Research Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Samira Mohajer - Instructor of Gerontological Nursing, Evidence-based Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Amin Azhari - Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Background: Physical activity, whether in water or on land, can improve motor disorders in the elderly. However, the more effective type of exercise remains inconspicuous. Aim: To compare the effects of aquatic and land-based exercises on the bio-motor abilities of elderly men. Method: This clinical trial was performed on 60 elderly men visiting Imamat and Daneshamuz health centers in Mashhad, Iran, in 2016. The eligible volunteers were randomly assigned to two groups (n=30 each). In one group, the subjects attended aquatic exercise sessions for six weeks, while the other group participated a land-based exercise program. Bio-motor abilities of the subjects including motor ability, flexibility, and general endurance were evaluated before and immediately after the intervention and recorded in a researcher-made checklist. Data were analyzed in SPSS, version 16, using the independent t-test, paired t-test, Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and exact Chi-square test. Results: The mean ages of the aquatic exercise and land-based exercise groups were respectively 69.9±5.1 and 68.0±5.0 years. Post-intervention, the aquatic exercise group showed significantly higher motor ability (P=0.01) and general endurance (P=0.02) than did the other group. However, the difference in final flexibility of the groups was not significant (P=0.252). Paired t-test showed a significant improvement in bio-motor abilities of both groups post-intervention (P<0.001). Implications for Practice: Since the aquatic exercise program had a greater impact on bio-motor abilitiesthan did the land-based program, it is recommended for achieving better results among elderly men.

Aquatic exercise, Bio-motor abilities, Elderly, Land-based exercise