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The objective of the study was to know how the practice of physical activity influences self-esteem and the level of risk dependence in old age, differentiating between the control group (sedentary) and experimental group (active). Participants were 168 people over 65 years of age, 84 of whom were classified as active and the remaining 84 were completely sedentary. To analyze self-esteem, Rosenberg's Personal Self-Esteem Scale was used whereas Barber's helped to assess the risk of dependence. Positive self-esteem is higher in the active (GE: 3.25 ± .45 vs. GC: 3.14 ± .47) but negative in the sedentary group (GC: 2.23 ± .48 vs. GE: 2.20 ± .52). There were significant differences (p ≤ .001) between the subjects of the CG (2.93 ± 1.67) and those of the EG (1.65 ± 1.03), with the latter showing a lower risk of dependence. There was a positive association between physical activity and positive self-esteem (r = .244; p ≤ .01), as well as between physical activity and the Barber index (r = -.425; p ≤ .001). In conclusion, regular physical activity should be encouraged to improve the level of self-esteem and minimize the risk of dependence on older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]