Objectives: This study explored the impact of a 12-week walking and barre exercise program on depression levels (CES-D), stress hormones (dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, cortisol, serotonin), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM) in women aged 65 and above. Methods: Twenty-seven participants were divided into a walking exercise group (WG), barre exercise group (BG) and control group (CG), each comprising nine individuals. Sessions lasted 50 min, thrice weekly, with intensity progressing every 4 weeks. Two-way repeated measures of ANOVA assessed time–group interactions and main effects, and paired t-tests and one-way ANOVA were used post hoc with significance set at 0.05. Results: The CES-D scores demonstrated significant interaction (p < 0.001), decreasing significantly in the BG and WG (p < 0.01) while rising in the CG (p < 0.05). Post hoc analysis revealed significantly lower depression levels in the BG compared to the CG (p < 0.01). Stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol showed a main effect of time (p < 0.05), with epinephrine increasing significantly in the BG (p < 0.05) and cortisol decreasing in the BG and WG (p < 0.05). An interaction effect emerged in hs-CRP levels (p < 0.05), while IgA and IgM displayed interaction effects (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively), both significantly increasing in the BG (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In summary, regular exercise positively impacted depression, stress hormones, and immune functions in older women.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of aerobic exercise on carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV), cell adhesion molecules (intracellular adhesion molecules (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecules (VCAM-1), endothelial selectin (E-selectin), and oxidized LDL in elderly women aged 70–85 years, and to identify the effect of and correlation with vascular stiffness. Forty participants were recruited and divided into three groups; vascular stiffness (VSG, n = 14), obesity (OG, n = 14), and normal (NG, n = 12). All groups were given a 16-week intervention of aerobic exercise, and the data collected before and after exercise were analyzed using SPSS Ver. 23.0. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used to evaluate between-group and time-dependent interaction effects. One-way ANOVA was used to evaluate between-group variations. In addition, the significance was tested using a post hoc test (Scheffe). The within-group variations by time before and after exercise were examined using a paired t-test, and correlation analysis was performed using Pearson correlation coefficients. Simple regression analysis was performed for variables showing significant differences. The results indicate interaction effects for cf-PWV (p < 0.001), VCAM-1 (p < 0.01), E-selectin (p < 0.05), and oxidized LDL (p < 0.001). The rate of change of cf-PWV was positively correlated with that of VCAM-1 (r = 0.352, p < 0.05) and that of oxidized LDL (r = 0.325, p < 0.05) with statistical significance. To determine the effect of the rate of change of cf-PWV on the rate of change of VCAM-1, the variables were tested, and the coefficient of determination in the regression analysis was 0.124, indicating that 12.4% of the tested variables fit the standard regression line. The variables for the effect of the rate of change of cf-PWV on the rate of change of oxidized LDL were also tested, and the coefficient of determination in the regression analysis was 0.106, indicating that 10.6% of the tested variables fit the standard regression line. Thus, the 16-week regular and consistent aerobic exercise program had significant effects on the cf-PWV, ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E-selectin, and oxidized LDL in elderly Korean women with vascular stiffness, suggesting improvements in vascular stiffness, based on which the intervention is predicted to contribute to the prevention of vascular dysfunction by lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease due to atherosclerosis, as well as having a positive effect in the prevention of impairment of vascular endothelial cells.

Background/Objectives: Aging is associated with declines in cognitive function and neurotrophic support. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) are peripheral biomarkers discussed in relation to brain health and aging. This study investigated changes in serum BDNF, IGF-1, and cognitive screening scores after a 16-week Hatha Yoga program performed twice or four times per week in older women. Methods: Fifty-one community-dwelling women aged 70–79 years were allocated to a twice-per-week yoga group (2YG; n = 17), a four-times-per-week yoga group (4YG; n = 17), or a non-exercise control group (CON; n = 17) based on availability and participant preference; forty-three participants completed the study. Serum BDNF and IGF-1 were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and chemiluminescent immunoassay, and cognitive status was evaluated using the Cognitive Impairment Screening Test (CIST). Outcomes were analyzed using two-way repeated-measures ANOVA and additional ANCOVA models adjusting for corresponding baseline values. Exploratory correlations were examined between biomarker changes and CIST changes. Effect sizes and 95% confidence intervals were reported. Results: BDNF showed a significant main effect of time (p < 0.05) without a significant group × time interaction; ANCOVA adjusting for baseline BDNF showed no significant group effect (p = 0.270). IGF-1 showed a significant group × time interaction (p < 0.01) with increases in both yoga groups; ANCOVA adjusting for baseline IGF-1 showed a significant group effect (p = 0.001). CIST showed a significant main effect of time (p < 0.01), but changes were small and the group × time interaction was not significant; ANCOVA adjusting for baseline CIST showed no significant group effect (p = 0.114). Biomarker changes were not clearly correlated with CIST changes (ΔBDNF–ΔCIST: r = −0.244, p = 0.115; ΔIGF-1–ΔCIST: r = −0.050, p = 0.750). Conclusions: In this quasi-experimental study with non-random allocation and limited covariate information, changes in peripheral neurotrophic factors and only small changes in cognitive screening scores were observed after participation in a 16-week Hatha Yoga program. However, frequency-dependent conclusions are limited, and findings should be interpreted cautiously as screening-level, hypothesis-generating reference data. Nevertheless, the program is considered a feasible, low-risk health promotion activity for older women and may inform future randomized or well-controlled studies.