Effects of Upper Limb Resistance Training on Cognition and Daily Living Activities in Older Adults

Objectives: Physical exercise is a promising intervention to improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of dementia and other related neurodegenerative disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of an upper limb-focused physical exercise intervention on cognitive function and daily living activities in older adults. Methods: Forty older residents of a nursing home participated in this clinical trial and were randomly assigned to the experimental (n=20) or the control (n=20) groups. Participants in the experimental group received a physical exercise intervention for six weeks. This intervention included resistance training of the upper limbs using free weights. Evaluations were performed at baseline and after three and six weeks of the resistance training. Stroop test and Barthel index were used to evaluate cognitive function and daily living activities, respectively. Results: Upper limb resistance training significantly improved cognitive function in the experimental group, but there was no significant difference between the groups in the ability to perform daily activities. Discussion: The present study revealed that resistance training of the upper limb can yield cognitive improvement in older adults. Upper limb strengthening seems to have the potential to improve cognitive performance in the elderly and can be recommended as a regular exercise activity. However, further studies with more comprehensive outcome measures are needed.