comparing the effects of aquatic and land-based exercises on the bio-motor abilities of elderly men

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 abilities than did the land-based program, it is recommended for achieving better results among elderly men.