title: The influence of music on exercise in a group of sedentary elderly women: an important tool to help the elderly to stay active.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to verify how listening to instrumental asynchronous music, with tempo of 90 bpm, can affect the aerobic physical performance in elderly women engaged in a continuous and constant exercising, predominantly aerobic, consisting of walking routines.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty women (N.=20, age=75.8±4.2 years) volunteered to the study and underwent a six-week period of physical exercising. All women were previously sedentary, as they had not trained systematically within the last 5 years. The experimental group (Eg=10) performed all the exercise sessions and tests listening to music. The control group (Cg=10) performed the same program without listening to music. Total distances covered, heart rates before and after the tests and the rates of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences between groups (P<0.01) were found in RPE. No statistically significant differences were observed in total distances covered and heart rates, although there was an increase of 9.83% in the total distance covered by the Eg compared to the Cg, in accordance with other previous researches.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results are in line with those reported by other authors in different populations and ages, confirming that music may be considered an important tool in supporting elderly people involved in physical exercising.
authors.affiliation: "Tor Vergata" University of Rome Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, School of Sport and Exercise Science, Rome, Italy - bruno.ruscello@uniroma2.it.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ruscello
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: D'Ottavio
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Padua
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tonelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pantanella
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D009146:Music; D010465:Perception; D005082:Physical Exertion; D010865:Pilot Projects; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D016138:Walking