OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effects of different exercise programs on physical fitness, cognition, and mental health in healthy older adults. METHODS: A randomized controlled study was performed with 89 healthy older adults. They were separated into four groups: the control (Con; n = 20), physical activity (PA; n = 23), cognitive training (CT; n = 23), and physical activity coupled with cognitive training groups (PA plus CT; n = 23). The subjects in PA, CT, and PA plus CT groups received exercise programs that lasted 40 min daily, conducted at least three days a week for 20 weeks. The PA group received regular aerobic physical activity interventions, the CT group received cognitive training interventions, and the PA plus CT group received physical activity combined with cognitive training interventions. Physical fitness (by chair stand, biceps curl, 2-min step, 8-step up and walk, and sit and reach tests), cognitive function (attention, simple reaction time, and spatial memory), and mental health (anxiety and depression status) were evaluated before and after 20 weeks. RESULTS: The body composition results reveal no significant effects among the four groups after 20 weeks before and after aerobic exercise interventions (p > 0.05). Compared with Con, the PA, CT, and PA plus CT groups significantly improved physical fitness parameters (p < 0.05). The post-hoc analysis demonstrated that the PA and PA plus CT groups had higher fitness levels than the CT group. Similarly, a significant difference was observed in the cognitive index among the four groups (p < 0.05). As determined by post-hoc analysis, attention and simple reaction time differed sequentially between the Con, PA, CT, and PA plus CT groups. The spatial memory was superior in the PA, CT, and PA plus CT groups compared to the Con group (p < 0.05), with the PA plus CT group exhibiting the highest level of performance. However, there was no significant difference in the mental health parameters among all the groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: A 20-week intervention involving different exercise methods can enhance physical fitness, cognition, and mental health in older adults. These methods include physical activity, cognitive training, and a combination of physical and cognitive training. The combined physical activity and cognitive training interventions yielded more favorable outcomes than individual physical or cognitive training interventions.

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