The importance of the practice of physical activity in the third age

The life expectancy of the Brazilian population has increased steadily in recent decades, leading to a greater number of elderly people. This population needs special attention as to their quality of life. The practice of physical activities, coupled with a good diet and the assistance of a good Physical Education professional, are predominant factors for the prevention of diseases caused by old age, besides stimulating and passing adequate confidence to the elderly in the practice of these activities. Thus, the present work has as a theme the study of the relationship between physical activity and quality of life in the elderly. The general objective is to verify the influence of physical activity on the quality of life of the elderly and the importance of the Physical Education professional in this process. It is necessary to emphasize that the present research fits within the method of the bibliographical research, carried out within the qualitative approaches, through books, journal articles, digital materials, referring to the period from 2000 to 2019, with the purpose of formulating new theories and present new findings on the subject, having as descriptors: physical activity, elderly; quality of life. It was possible to conclude that the practice of well-designed physical activities by the Physical Education professional, respecting the limits of each practitioner, besides promoting health, helps the elderly to face this stage of life with head up, in so far as it enables him to broaden his view on the body culture of movement, and thus enables autonomy for the development of a personal practice so that there is interaction, socialization, performance and quality of life.