Acute Effects of Multicomponent Training, Resistance Training and Walking on Affect and Enjoyment of Healthy Elderly Individuals: A Randomized Cross-sectional Study

Physical exercise plays an essential role in muscle function and the emotional well-being of elderly people. These practices potentially contribute to the development of affective response and enjoyment, creating a social and relaxed environment that improves mood and promotes interpersonal connections. Although the affective responses derived from Resistance Training (RT) and Walking Training (WT) are understood, the behavior of these responses, and the enjoyment associated with Multicomponent Training (MCT) remains underexplored, making further investigation warranted.

The present study aimed to evaluate the acute effect of MCT, RT, and WT on affective responses and enjoyment in elderly women. Additionally, preference and tolerance were also assessed, as well as the established circumplex model of affect.

Fifteen older women familiar with MCT, RT, and WT participated in the study in 3 visits. The elderly were randomly allocated to a) MCT, b) RT, and c) WT sessions on alternate days. All participants underwent the three modalities, where a single session lasted a maximum of 40 minutes. Each individual answered the Feeling Scale (FS) and Felt Arousal Scale (FAS) immediately before (FS₁ and FAS₁), during (FS₂ and FAS₂), and immediately after (FS₃ and FAS₃). At the end of each training session, individuals also answered the enjoyment scale (PACES) and preference/tolerance questionnaire (PRETIE – Q).

The Friedman test indicated differences only for FS in the face of RT (p <0.001) and WT (p <0.001), marking a reduction in affect. For MCT, no differences between the three measures performed were observed (p=0.513). There were differences in the FS₂ (p = 0.021) and FS₃ (p=0.002) between RT or WT, with no differences for FS₁ (p=0.641). There were differences in the level of body arousal for RT (p <0.001), MCT (p = 0.021), and WT (p <0.001). Differences were observed in FAS₂ (p=0.029) and FAS₃ (p=0.006) between groups, with no differences in FAS₁ (p = 0.314). PACES scale indicated differences between MCT and RT vs. WT (superior). There were no differences between groups for the PRETIE-Q scale for tolerance or preference. The circumplex model admits that the three exercises performed moved into positive domains.

Different exercise alternatives are employed with the aim of overcoming barriers relating to adherence to exercise. From this perspective, the plurality of movement patterns and perceptions of pleasure are substantial. Thus, interventions with multimodal characteristics are incorporated as a response to such barriers. Interestingly, our findings on a population of elderly women contrast with the body of literature, as pleasure was not higher for MCT, but rather for WT.

All three exercise modalities elicited positive affective responses. However, only the MCT was able to increase and maintain the affective response until after the exercise ended. WT elicited a higher level of pleasure and enjoyment of physical activity compared to MCT and RT. The circumplex model of affect demonstrated that it remained within positive domains, characterized by a combination of pleasure and energy.