Background: This study aimed to assess the impact of a 12-week Aqua Fitness program on the physical fitness of older women and emphasize sustainable health practices for aging populations. We focused on evaluating the program’s effectiveness, using the Senior Fitness Test to measure improvements in physical capabilities. Methods: An experimental research design was implemented, with 30 participants aged 60 and older. The participants were divided into a control group and an experimental group, each comprising 15 individuals. The control group received aqua Fitness exercises, and the experimental group received aqua fitness exercises and isometric (combined) exercises. Lower limb muscle strength, upper limb muscle strength, lower body flexibility, upper body flexibility, dynamic balance, agility, and endurance were assessed using the Senior Fitness Test. Assessments were conducted pre- and post-training. Results: For a comparison within the group, combined exercises (aqua fitness and isometric exercises) had a significant effect on lower limb muscle strength, upper limb muscle strength, lower body flexibility, upper body flexibility on the right side, dynamic balance, agility, and endurance. Aqua fitness exercises alone showed significant effects on upper limb muscle strength, lower body flexibility, and endurance and no significant effects on other variables. For the comparison between groups, no significant differences were found between the effects of aqua fitness exercises and combined exercises on lower limb muscle strength, upper limb muscle strength, lower body flexibility, upper body flexibility, and endurance. Significant differences were found only in dynamic balance and agility between the two groups of aqua fitness and combined exercises. Conclusions: Although the combined program (aqua fitness and isometric exercises) had a greater effect on improving the physical fitness of older adults than aqua fitness alone, there was no significant difference between the two groups. Therefore, the results of this study highlight the potential of aqua fitness in promoting sustainable health and physical fitness in the older adult population.

Background: Healthy food choices are among the factors contributing to health, and therefore, a better quality of life at each stage of ontogenesis. The aim of the study was to assess correlations of eating habits with self-rated health and quality of life (QOL) in women participating in the Healthy Active Senior project at the University of Physical Education in Kraków, Poland. Methods: The study was conducted in September 2019 among 201 women aged 60-85 (66 5) using the Questionnaire of Eating Behaviour (QEB) and the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients (Spearman’s rho), with a significance level set at p<0.05. Results: The study demonstrated that the inclusion of unsweetened foods such as beverages and dairy products as snacks and a preference for baking/roasting as a method of heat treatment of meat led to an increase in self-rated health (p<0.01). On the other hand, overall health assessment decreased (p<0.01) with the consumption of sweetened beverages and sweetened dairy products, and adding salt to ready-made meals or sandwiches. Furthermore, with regular consumption of meals, including unsweetened beverages and dairy products as snacks, and a preference for baking/roasting as a method of heat treatment for meat and consuming wine among alcoholic beverages, the overall perception of quality of life increased (p<0.01). In contrast, choosing sweet snacks and the preference for flavoured water led to a decrease in the overall self-rated QOL (p<0.01). Conclusions: Healthy food choices are associated with an increase in the general perception of health and quality of life while choosing unhealthy foods is related to a decrease in the overall perception of health and QOL in senior women.

BackgroundIn the water rescue and academic community, more and more attention is being paid to optimizing rescue procedures. Research to date suggests that the lifeguard’s clothing can significantly affect the level of fatigue and the duration of the rescue operation. In water rescue operations, especially those performed by uniformed services, lifeguards are often required to act in their standard uniforms, which can exert a substantial influence on their ability to effectively carry out the evacuation and subsequent resuscitation. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of different types of lifeguard clothing on the level of fatigue as measured by heart rate (HR) and on the duration of direct water rescue operations.MethodsThe study involved 40 participants (14 women and 26 men), representing lifeguards and students of the University of Physical Education who had passed practical tests in water rescue. Each participant performed 3 rescue attempts over a distance of 30 m, including a rescue jump, front crawl swimming to a manikin, and towing the manikin back to the starting point. The trials differed in the clothing worn: swimsuit (SWIM), T-shirt and shorts (T-S), summer military uniform (UNI). The performance time of the entire trial and the maximum HR were measured. The study was performed on an open body of water. The statistical analysis involved Student’s t-test, ANOVA (both parametric and non-parametric), and post-hoc tests (Tukey’s or Dunn-Bonferroni); the significance level of p < 0.05 was assumed.ResultsStatistically significant differences were observed in the trial duration and the recorded HR depending on the type of clothing worn by the lifeguard. In both women and men, the trials carried out while wearing UNI were characterized by a significantly longer victim evacuation time and higher HR as compared with the trials performed while wearing SWIM or T-S. The comparison between SWIM and T-S did not reveal any significant differences in the operation time. Large effects (eta squared) were reported for both the time and HR variables.ConclusionsThe obtained results yield the following suggestions: (1) The choice of lifeguards’ clothing is of considerable importance for the effectiveness of rescue operations. (2) Clothing other than SWIM, especially a standard summer UNI, significantly increases the time of victim evacuation from the water and the rescuer’s fatigue (higher HR). (3) When making decisions about lifeguard’s clothing in rescue operations, one should consider both the specificity of the incident and the potential physiological strain, so as not to impair the effectiveness of further actions, such as continuing the rescue operation or performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.