The effect of aerobic dancing on physical fitness and cognitive function in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic-a natural experiment

During the Coronavirus disease(COVID-19),the physical activity of older adults is at a lower level.The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of aerobic dancing on physical fitness and cognitive function in older adults.We conducted a randomized controlled trial with 34 older adults who were assigned into an aerobic dancing group and a control group.Three dance sessions weekly for 60min were scheduled for the aerobic dancing group for a total of 12 weeks.Physical fitness,blood pressure,lipids,glucose,cognitive function were assessed before and after the intervention.Baseline adjusted Analysis of Covariance(ANCOVA)was used to determine whether outcome variables varied between groups at pre-test and post-test.Effect size(Cohen's d)was calculated to determine the differences between groups from baseline to post-test.After 12 weeks,we found that the aerobic dancing group showed significant improvement in memory(portrait memory:F=10.45,p=0.003,d=1.18).The Limit of Stability(LOS)parameters in the aerobic dancing group displayed a significant increase after the intervention(right angle:F=5.90,p=0.022,d=0.60;right-anterior angle:F=4.23,p=0.049,d=0.12).Some beneficial effects were found on flexibility,grip strength,balance and subjective well-being(sit and reach:F=0.25,p=0.62,d=−0.40;grip strength:F=3.38,p=0.08,d=0.89;one-legged standing with eyes closed:F=1.26,p=0.27,d=0.50)in the aerobic dancing group.Aerobic dancing training was effective in improving memory and balance ability in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in China.In the future,aerobic dancing is a promising tool to encourage physical activity in older adults.