Effect of Aquatic Exercises on Emotional Intelligence and Quality of Life of Inactive Veterans

Aims: This research aimed to investigate the effects of eight weeks of aquatic exercises on the emotional intelligence and quality of life of inactive veterans of Ilam City. Materials Methods: This quasi-experimental study utilized a pre-test-post-test design with a control group and its statistical population was all veterans in Ilam City, from which a sample of 28 individuals was selected using available and voluntary sampling methods. The samples were divided into the experimental (n=14) and control (n=14) groups. The library method was employed to collect the background and theoretical foundations of the research and two standard emotional intelligence questionnaires including Bar-On (2002) and Quality of Life (2000) were used to gather data. For data analysis, univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance with SPSS 24 was employed. Findings: Before the intervention, there were no significant differences in emotional intelligence and quality of life between the experimental and control groups, and the groups were homogeneous. However, after the exercise intervention, improvements in emotional intelligence and quality of life were observed in the experimental group compared to the control group (p≤0.05). Thus, aquatic exercises had a significant impact on enhancing emotional intelligence and quality of life in the experimental group. Conclusion: Aquatic exercises lead to improvements in emotional intelligence and quality of life in veterans.