Is walking enough to promote health benefits in older adults? A systematic review.
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| Title: | Is walking enough to promote health benefits in older adults? A systematic review. |
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| Authors: | de la Casa-Pérez, Ana (AUTHOR), Conceição, Filipe Almeida Viana da (AUTHOR), Párraga-Montilla, Juan Antonio (AUTHOR), Cabrera-Linares, José Carlos (AUTHOR), Latorre-Román, Pedro Ángel (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Educational Gerontology. Jul2026, Vol. 52 Issue 7, p669-698. 30p. |
| Subjects: | Cognitive testing, Research funding, Executive function, Descriptive statistics, Walking, Systematic reviews, MEDLINE, Muscle strength, Physical fitness, Health behavior, Aerobic exercises, Quality of life, Health outcome assessment, Health promotion, Online information services, Data analysis software, Physical activity, Psychology information storage & retrieval systems, Physical mobility, Postural balance, Cognitive flexibility, Time, Mental depression |
| Abstract: | This systematic review aimed to analyze the effects of walking training interventions – compared to no intervention or alternative physical activity programs – on physical fitness, cognitive function, and psychosocial outcomes in healthy older adults. The review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024499332). We included randomized and non-randomized controlled trials published between January 2015 and February 2025. Eligible studies included adults aged ≥ 60 years, without major comorbidities, who participated in walking interventions as the primary activity, with passive or active control groups, and assessed outcomes in physical (e.g. strength, balance), cognitive (e.g. executive function), or psychosocial (e.g. quality of life) domains. Searches across four electronic databases yielded 18 eligible studies involving 1,174 participants. Walking interventions – particularly dual-task and structured aerobic formats – consistently demonstrated statistically significant improvements in mobility, strength, and executive function. Continuous and interval walking protocols produced moderate improvements, while multicomponent and cognitively enriched walking interventions showed larger effects, especially in balance and cognitive flexibility. Psychosocial outcomes showed smaller and more variable effects, possibly due to differences in intervention duration, intensity, or measurement tools. Limited impact was found on depressive symptoms, and results on quality of life were mixed. In conclusion, walking-based programs are effective for improving physical and cognitive health in older adults, especially when performed at moderate-to-vigorous intensity, at least three times per week, and over ≥12 weeks. Programs incorporating dual-task or cognitive components appear especially beneficial. Further high-quality research is needed to clarify psychosocial effects and optimize intervention characteristics such as intensity, frequency, and duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | This systematic review aimed to analyze the effects of walking training interventions – compared to no intervention or alternative physical activity programs – on physical fitness, cognitive function, and psychosocial outcomes in healthy older adults. The review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024499332). We included randomized and non-randomized controlled trials published between January 2015 and February 2025. Eligible studies included adults aged ≥ 60 years, without major comorbidities, who participated in walking interventions as the primary activity, with passive or active control groups, and assessed outcomes in physical (e.g. strength, balance), cognitive (e.g. executive function), or psychosocial (e.g. quality of life) domains. Searches across four electronic databases yielded 18 eligible studies involving 1,174 participants. Walking interventions – particularly dual-task and structured aerobic formats – consistently demonstrated statistically significant improvements in mobility, strength, and executive function. Continuous and interval walking protocols produced moderate improvements, while multicomponent and cognitively enriched walking interventions showed larger effects, especially in balance and cognitive flexibility. Psychosocial outcomes showed smaller and more variable effects, possibly due to differences in intervention duration, intensity, or measurement tools. Limited impact was found on depressive symptoms, and results on quality of life were mixed. In conclusion, walking-based programs are effective for improving physical and cognitive health in older adults, especially when performed at moderate-to-vigorous intensity, at least three times per week, and over ≥12 weeks. Programs incorporating dual-task or cognitive components appear especially beneficial. Further high-quality research is needed to clarify psychosocial effects and optimize intervention characteristics such as intensity, frequency, and duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 03601277 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/03601277.2025.2515559 |
