The Impact of Long-term Exercise Training on Psychological Function in Older Adults

The effect of long-term aerobic training on psychological function was examined in 87 sedentary older adults who engaged in a year-long endurance exercise training program compared with a nonexercising control group. In addition to improved cardiovascular fitness, a positive change in self-reported morale was found for the exercise condition. Of the cognitive functions measured, a significant effect was noted for the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) Logical Memory subtest; however, this effect was caused by a decline in performance from pre- to posttesting in the control group. Long-term exercise training had little, if any, effect on improving cognitive function in this older adult sample.