The relationship between effort tolerance, functional fitness, age, and rehabilitation training in women over 60 living in Polish nursing homes.

Decline in physical activity is believed to contribute to reduced exercise tolerance and diminished functional fitness. This underscores the importance of rehabilitation training in maintaining adequate levels of both. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between exercise tolerance, functional fitness, age, and participation in rehabilitation training among women over the age of 60. The study included 106 women aged 60 to 89, of whom 60 participated in rehabilitation training and 46 did not. To assess exercise tolerance and functional fitness, researchers employed the 6-min Walk Test and the Short Physical Performance Battery. No significant relationship was found between age and either functional fitness or exercise tolerance among physically active women. Similarly, no association was observed between age and exercise tolerance in the group of inactive women. However, a significant correlation was identified between age and functional fitness in inactive women (p = 0.001). A notable difference in exercise tolerance between active and inactive participants was observed only in the subgroup of women aged 75 to 89, with those engaged in rehabilitation activities achieving significantly better results (p = 0.008). The level of physical activity among female nursing home residents from the western region of Poland is too low and poorly balanced. Rehabilitation training should be individually selected to bring benefits to the elderly.