Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior (SB) have attracted growing attention globally since they relate to noninfectious chronic diseases (NCDs) and could further result in the loss of life. This systematic literature review aimed to identify existing evidence on the efficacy of mobile health (mHealth) technology in inducing physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior for physically inactive people. Studies were included if they used a smartphone app in an intervention to improve physical activity and/or sedentary behavior for physically inactive individuals. Interventions could be stand-alone interventions or multi-component interventions, including an app as one of several intervention components. A total of nine studies were included, and all were randomized controlled trials. Two studies involved interventions delivered solely via a mobile application (stand-alone intervention) and seven studies involved interventions that used apps and other intervention strategies (multi-component intervention). Methodological quality was assessed, and the overall quality of the studies was ensured. The pooled data favored intervention in improving physical activity and reducing sedentary behavior. This review provided evidence that mobile health intervention improved physical activity and reduced sedentary behavior among inactive individuals. More beneficial effects can be guaranteed when interventions include multiple components. Further studies that maintain the effectiveness of such interventions are required to maximize user engagement and intervention efficacy.

Background: Sarcopenia is prevalent in older adults and affects their quality of life and overall health, low handgrip strength is one of the main manifestations of sarcopenia. Resistance training is an effective intervention for improving muscle strength in older adults, but the optimal dose of resistance training remains unclear. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis was to investigate the dose-response relationship between different doses of resistance training and grip strength in older adults.Methods: This systematic review and network meta-analysis included a search in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials from inception to 19 October 2024 of resistance training for patients with senile sarcopenia. Comprehensive data extraction covered dose, resistance training protocol, demographics, and study duration. Systematic review with Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) methodology was employed and results were presented as 95% credible intervals (Crl).Results: A total of 13 studies involving 711 participants (mean age: 68.29 ± 5.30 years; mean BMI: 24.03 ± 3.43; female: 79.5%) were included in this study. The results of our network meta-analysis showed that resistance training variables (e.g., frequency, intensity, period, and training volume) were effective in improving handgrip strength in older patients with sarcopenia. Among them, the effective dose range for frequency of resistance training was 2–5 times/week, resistance training intensity was 30%–75%, resistance training period was 4–24 weeks, resistance training exercise was 3–17 exercises per set, resistance training repetitions was 10–24 reps, resistance training sets was 2–8 sets, resistance training volume was 528–2,200 reps per week. The optimal dose of resistance training to improve handgrip strength in older adults with sarcopenia is 3 times per week (MD = 7.02, 95% CrI [4.62, 9.42]), 49% 1RM (MD = 7.11, 95% CrI [2.69, 11.52]), 19 weeks (MD = 7.87, 95% CrI [3.89, 11.85]), 15 exercises (MD = 8.16, 95% CrI [3.65, 12.66]), 16 reps (MD = 7.62; 95% CrI [4.77, 10.46]), 6 sets (MD = 8.63; 95% CrI [5.06, 12.21]), 1,400 reps/week (MD = 8.45; 95% CrI [5.50, 11.40]).Conclusion: Resistance training effectively improves handgrip strength in older adults with sarcopenia. A recommended 19-week program includes 3 sessions per week at 49% 1RM, featuring 15 exercises per set, 6 sets, and 16 repetitions per exercise, totaling up to 1,400 reps weekly.Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/recorddashboard.

Exercise habits significantly influence the mental health of university students. However, previous research has often neglected the endogeneity issues in this context, leading to biased estimates and limiting the ability to establish a clear causal relationship. This study aimed to address endogeneity issues and investigate the causal effect of exercise habits on the mental health of university students. This cross-sectional study was conducted involving 1,120 university students from China. Data on demographic characteristics, exercise habits, and mental health were collected using both online and offline questionnaires. To evaluate the mental health benefits of exercise habits, we employed both the instrumental variable (IV) approach and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The OLS estimates revealed a positive association between exercise habits and positive affect (β = 0.179, p < .001), life satisfaction (β = 0.134, p < .001), and self-actualization (β = 0.086, p < .001) among university students. The IV analysis indicated that exercise habits positively influenced positive affect (β = 0.263, p < .001), life satisfaction (β = 0.151, p = .006 < .01), and self-actualization (β = 0.102, p = .013 < .05). A comparison of the estimation results suggests that the OLS approach underestimates the mental health benefits of exercise habits. This study provides preliminary causal evidence that exercise habits contribute to the promotion of mental health in university students. These findings offer valuable insights into potential preventive strategies for addressing mental health issues in this population through exercise interventions.

Introduction: Cognitive impairment is a core feature of major depressive disorder (MDD) that often persists during remission, significantly affecting psychosocial functioning. While exercise is known to alleviate depressive symptoms, its specific impact on cognitive domains remains variable. This study aims to evaluate the dose–response relationship and comparative effectiveness of different types of exercise interventions on cognitive function in adults with MDD. Methods: Five electronic databases (Ovid Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, and Embase) were systematically searched on September 20, 2024. Study selection: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adults aged 18 years or older with MDD were included if they examined the effects of exercise interventions and reported at least one cognitive outcome. Two independent reviewers conducted data extraction and quality assessment according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Network Meta-Analyses (PRISMA-NMA) guidelines. Results: A three-level meta-analysis and a Bayesian model-based network meta-analysis were performed. Fifteen RCTs with a total of 1,196 participants were included. A non-linear dose–response relationship was observed, with a minimum effective dose of 967 METs-min/week—within the WHO-recommended exercise range. Among exercise types, Tai Chi/Qigong demonstrated the greatest cognitive benefits. Moderation analysis indicated that younger age and a higher proportion of female participants were associated with stronger cognitive effects. Conclusion: Exercise significantly improves cognitive function in adults with MDD, with aerobic and mind–body exercises offering particularly strong benefits. These results support the integration of tailored exercise programs into treatment strategies for cognitive dysfunction in MDD. Systematic review registration: The systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42024546289): https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024546289 .

In the present study, the high fat diet was used to establish a murine model of obesity and treadmill exercise was applied to improve obesity. After exercise intervention, the novel object recognition test and threechambered social test were performed to evaluate cognitive function. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure serum inflammatory factor levels and Western blot assay was performed to detect hippocampal protein levels in pro-inflammatory signaling pathway. We found that high fat diet mice spent less time on exploring novel objects and communication with unfamiliar mice in the novel object recognition and three-chambered social test, respectively. The cognitive decline in obese mice was significantly alleviated after treadmill exercise. Furthermore, serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1 beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 as well as hippocampal tolllike receptor 4/myeloid differentiation primary response 88/nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway which can lead to the production of pro-inflammatory mediators were remarkably activated in obese mice. According to the random control experimental scheme and its big data analysis we found treadmill exercise inhibited the inflammatory response in the hippocampus. These results suggest that exercise may improve the high fat diet induced cognitive impairment by inhibiting hippocampal inflammation via the suppression of toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation primary response 88/nuclear factor kappa B signaling pathway. Our work elucidates the mechanism underlying the improvement of exercise in obesity induced cognitive dysfunction and provides theoretical basis for the clinical application of exercise strategies for the treatment of obese patients with cognitive dysfunction.