Little is known about the effectiveness of hydrotherapy in maintaining the functionality of the elderly. Hence, epidemiological studies of great scientific acceptability are suggested to attest their importance. OBJECTIVE: Demonstrate the benefits of aquatic physical therapy the influence of balance in elderly people who have not suffered falls. METHODS: The work is a clinical trial randomized uncontrolled (ECR) with elderly groups treated in soil (G1), water (G2) and control (G3). We evaluated 53 elderly where only 47 completed the survey. Among the assessment scales were used which identified 5: balance (Berg Balance), mobilility and balance (TUGT; Timed Up and Go Test), gait (Tinetti), fear of light (FES-Brasil), and life quality (SF36). After evaluating all the elderly have undergone a programme of aquatic physical therapy and physical therapy in ground. The programme was implemented for 8 weeks, three sessions a week, with duration of 45 minutes. The elderly have been assessed and reassessed after the eighth week of the treatment. RESULTS: Were evaluated 53 elderly, mean age (+/- 66.19) with predominance of females, after the intervention period may be noted that there was an increase of the balance in the elderly that would not practice physical activity, increase in run-time Timed Up and Go Test (+/- 0.60 sec), improvement in all domains of SF-36 in both groups with higher prevalence in the water. CONCLUSIONS: The programs of physical therapy in soil and aquatic physical therapy improved the balance and life quality in elderly people would not physical activity and reducing the risk of falls.

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