BACKGROUND:

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of a 10-week functional training (FT) programme on pain, mood state, sleep, and depression in healthy older adults.

METHOD:

A group of 38 older adults (32 women, 6 men) voluntarily participated in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n = 20; age: 75.44 ± 5.31 years) or the control group (n = 18: age: 76.35 ± 6.45 years). Pain, depression, mood state, and sleep were tested before and after FT.

RESULTS:

After the treatment, the experimental group experienced significant improvements in geriatric depression (P < 0.001), vigour (P = 0.044), fatigue (P = 0.002), depression (P = 0.005), and hypersomnia (P = 0.014), whereas the control group experienced significant deterioration in geriatric depression (P = 0.003), pain (P < 0.001), vigour (P = 0.011), depression (P = 0.009), and hypersomnia (P = 0.018). In addition, the experimental group showed an iceberg profile of mood; the control group did not show this profile.

CONCLUSION:

Ten-week FT improved mood state, depression, and sleep in healthy older adults. Therefore, FT exercises may be recommended for the prevention and treatment of insomnia, depression, and alterations in mood state.