HABILIDADES MOTORAS E FUNCIONALIDADE CORPORAL NA SAÚDE EQUALIDADE DE VIDA EM IDOSOS PRATICANTES DE EXERCÍCIOS FÍSICOS

Introduction: Aging is a natural and progressive process responsible for several physiological, morphological, functional, biochemical and psychological changes, compromising their autonomy, this process is accompanied by structural and functional changes of the body and mind, and is also associated with cognitive decline that can affect the health and quality of life of the elderly. Objective: To verify motor skills in body functionality and health and quality of life in elderly practitioners of physical exercises. Methods: This is an integrative literature review, carried out in the following databases: Virtual Health Library (VHL), Bireme, Pubmed, Lilacs, Medline, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). Using the following descriptors alone and/or in combination: Physical exercise and motor skills in the elderly, Physical exercise and motor coordination in the elderly; Physical exercise and balance in the elderly; Physical exercise and functionality in the elderly; Physical exercise, motor coordination and functionality in the elderly; Physical exercise, balance and functionality in the elderly; Physical exercise and quality of life in the elderly. Results: The data showed that maintaining an active lifestyle is essential for the development of motor skills that consequently affects the autonomy, functionality and quality of life of the elderly. Considerations: An active lifestyle stimulates and maintains motor skills, which are fundamental mechanisms for maintaining the functional independence of the elderly. As for the limitations of the research, the theme focused on motor coordination proved to be quite scarce, and studies that deal with the study of skills in a more specific way are suggested.