Impact of physical exercise on memory and learning in healthy older women: a quasi-experimental study.

Abstract

[EN]The population of people over the age of 65 is currently growing thanks to social and health policies. It presents an increase in age-related diseases due to a series of morphological and physiological changes in these population groups. We aimed to study the effect of a physical exercise program on memory and learning. A quasi-experimental pilot study carried out with a sample of 73 healthy female subjects who were divided into two groups: an intervention group and a control group. Both groups underwent a neuropsychological evaluation before and after the intervention. Subjects in the intervention group performed physical exercise 3 times a week, 50 min each session. The subjects in the control group did not perform any type of physical exercise and completed their daily life activities. The intervention group improvement in cognitive functions after the intervention and obtained higher scores against the control group. Regular physical exercise improves global cognitive function, visoconstructive capacity, and memory functions. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-025-06614-0.