Acute Mood Responses to a Community-Based Exercise Session in Older Women: Differences According to Previous Program Participation

Older women often face barriers to sustained participation in physical activity (PA) while understanding the acute psychological effects of exercise may support their long-term adherence in PA. The aim of this study was to examine acute changes in mood following a single exercise session and the moderating role of previous exercise experience in +60-year-old women from southern Croatia. Participants were women (73.3 ± 5.71 years of age) involved in an outdoor community-based exercise program. They were classified into an experienced group (EG; n = 42) and a nonexperienced group (NEG; n = 21). Mood state was evaluated by the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS) before (pre-) and after exercise (post-measurement). Acute mood changes were analyzed by two-way repeated-measures ANOVA with Time (pre- vs. post-measurement) and Group (EG vs. NEG) as the main effects and Time × Group interaction. By exploratory correlation analyses, we examined changes in the associations among mood dimensions separately for the EG and NEG. Favorable changes were evidenced in depression (F test = 4.32, p < 0.05), anger (F test = 9.54, p < 0.01), and confusion (F test = 14.25, p < 0.001), and the total mood disturbance score (TMD) (F test = 6.41), with significant interaction effects evidenced for tension, vigor, fatigue, and TMD. Exploratory analyses suggested differences in the correlations between mood dimensions according to exercise experience, supporting the conclusion on the differential influence of exercise in the EG and NEG. Community-based exercise induced favorable acute mood responses in older women, but these responses were influenced by previous exercise experience, with more pronounced favorable effects observed in the EG. When exercise programs for older women are designed with consideration of exercise history may enhance positive exercise experiences and support sustained participation.