Effects of Walking and Barre Exercise on CES-D, Stress Hormones, hs-CRP, and Immunoglobulins in Elderly Women

<b>Objectives:</b> 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. <b>Methods:</b> 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 <i>t</i>-tests and one-way ANOVA were used post hoc with significance set at 0.05. <b>Results:</b> The CES-D scores demonstrated significant interaction (<i>p</i> < 0.001), decreasing significantly in the BG and WG (<i>p</i> < 0.01) while rising in the CG (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Post hoc analysis revealed significantly lower depression levels in the BG compared to the CG (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol showed a main effect of time (<i>p</i> < 0.05), with epinephrine increasing significantly in the BG (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and cortisol decreasing in the BG and WG (<i>p</i> < 0.05). An interaction effect emerged in hs-CRP levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while IgA and IgM displayed interaction effects (<i>p</i> < 0.05 and <i>p</i> < 0.01, respectively), both significantly increasing in the BG (<i>p</i> < 0.05). <b>Conclusions:</b> In summary, regular exercise positively impacted depression, stress hormones, and immune functions in older women.