Objective: We conducted a three-arm trial (water exercise group × land exercise group × no exercise group) to assess the effects of a 4-month exercise program on mobility, balance, and cognition in community-dwelling older adults.

Background: Motor and cognitive decline are often a source of concern for older individuals, their families, and healthcare professionals. A physical decline places a substantial burden on public health. Exercise is acknowledged to be a crucial tool across all age groups. However, uncertainty remains regarding the most appropriate type of exercise for older adults.

Method: In this single-blind clinical trial, 45 older individuals (34 women), mean age of 65.3 ± 1.5 years, cognitively preserved (Mini-Mental State Examination score of 27.9 ± 2.4), were randomly assigned to one of three groups: water exercises (n = 16), land exercises (n = 14), or monitoring (no-exercise, n = 15). The primary outcome measures were mobility (assessed using the timed-get-up-and-go test), balance (evaluated using the Berg Balance Scale), and cognitive function (measured using Raven’s Progressive Matrices Test). Repeated measures analysis of variance associated with Tukey’s post-hoc test was used to analyze the data. Significance was set at 5%.

Results: Compared with the control group, participants who underwent either land or water exercises demonstrated significant improvements in mobility (P = 0.002) and balance (P = 0.001). Four months of water exercise yielded comparable benefits to land exercise for mobility (P = 0.569) and balance (P = 0.528). No significant benefits were observed in the water and land exercise programs in terms of cognition (P = 0.056) [Table 1].

Conclusion: Both water and land exercises improved mobility and balance among community-dwelling older adults. Compared with the control group, the 4-month exercise program did not yield significant improvements in cognition. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer exercise programs may reveal potential differences between water and land therapy in terms of mobility, balance, and cognition.

Table 1.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/benefits-of-exercise-on-mobility-balance-and-cognition-in-community-dwelling-older-adults-an-on-land-vs-in-water-comparison-study/