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 60 min 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.