A - 01 Baseline Executive Functioning and Mood in Older Adults before a Remote Physical Exercise Training Program

FT, Agate; K, Milligan; A, Webber; MA, Garcia-Barrera

OBJECTIVE: Physical exercise shows benefits to executive functioning (EF), a cognitive process that is relevant to goal-directed planning, application of complex rules, and dynamic control of action. However, many older adults have not engaged in exercise due to social distancing measures implemented to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The present study aims to administer a remote physical exercise training program to older adults in Canada and examine its effects on EF and mood, beginning with the collection of the following baseline data. METHODS: So far, nine older adults (78% females, 66–78 years-old) have completed a remote assessment that examines current physical exercise engagement, Covid-related distress, general mood, and executive behavior. In addition, the assessment included computerized tasks measuring various aspects of EF. Pattern analyses were used to characterize trends in baseline data. RESULTS: 67% of participants reported undergoing no moderate-vigorous physical exercise in a typical week. Compared to other participants, more individuals in this subgroup performed at a lower rate on a higher-order EF task (i.e., the Balloon Analogue Risk Task). Similarly, more participants who endorsed higher Covid-related psychological distress performed worse in the same task compared to others (40% in the lower third of performance vs. 0%), and also endorsed more difficulties with organization. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that those who do not engage in physical exercise are potential candidates to experience the mental health and cognitive benefits of a physical exercise training program.