A study of ego strength among elderly females: With reference to regular physical activity

Abstract

This study compared ego strength of elderly females in relation to their physical activity status. This study was conducted on 250 physically active elderly women (Ave. age 64.11 yrs) and 250 elderly women with sedentary lifestyle (Ave. age 63.23 yrs.). The study area of this research was limited to Jammu and Kashmir. Regular walking, light exercise and yoga were considered as regular physical activity apart from day-to-day work while sedentary lifestyle has its usual definition. To assess ego strength of selected elderly females, PMHI prepared by Agashe and Helode (1988) was used. It was found that ego strength in elderly females with regular physical activity routine was found to be significantly higher as compared to elderly females with sedentary lifestyle. It was concluded that regular physical activity boost the ability of elderly females to cope with internal and external stressor while maintaining emotional stability.