Physical Activity for HIV-positive Patients: investigating reality in the city of Jataí

Abstract

This article presents the results of a research work that investigated the existence and the importance of physical activity practices in the treatment and in the daily life of ten HIV-positive patients, in the city of Jataí-GO. None of the patients has the habit of doing regular physical activities, although nine of them have shown interest in doing it, going as far as listing the physical and psychological benefits that such group activities could bring. It was interesting to notice that the concept of physical exercise held by the investigated patients was not linked to the aesthetic and performance benefits, but rather to the maintenance of health and physical integrity and, mostly, to the benefits related to socialization and improved self-esteem. KEY WORDS: physical activity - AIDS - disease.