The Effect of Web-Based Aerobic Exercise on Working Memory in Older Women: the Importance of Being Active in the Covid- 19 Pandemic Period

Abstract

Introduction: prevalence of Covid-19 virus affected the participation of the elderly in physical because them at home. This study aimed was to investigate the effect of eight weeks web-based aerobic exercise on working memory in older women. Materials and Methods: This study was quasi-experimental study. The statistical population in this study was all elderly women in Kermanshah, Iran. Thirty inactive elderly women who participated in the research voluntarily were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. Before the start of the training protocol Participants' working memory were measured using the N-Back test. The experimental group performed their exercises, which included web-based aerobic exercises for eight weeks and three sessions per week. To test the research hypotheses analysis of covariance was used in SPSS 23 software. Results: The results showed that web-based aerobic exercise had a significant effect on working memory of Kermanshah elderly women. Conclusion: Using web-based aerobic exercises can improve working memory in older women. Therefore, due to the limitations of movement caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and importance of the elderly being active for maintain cognitive health, it is recommended that the elderly use the web-based aerobic exercise.