BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of physical exercise on the physical and mental health of older adults using meta-analysis and to analyze the moderating variables influencing this relationship. The goal was to provide a scientific basis for identifying effective exercise methods to enhance the physical and mental health of the older adults. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Data were processed using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 18.0 statistical software. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model, and relevant moderating variables were tested. RESULTS: The study findings indicated that physical activity significantly improves the physical and mental health of older adults across various dimensions. Specifically, it showed a large effect size for enhancing social interactions (standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.78, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.14 to 0.69, p = 0.0002), a medium effect size for improving physical health (SMD 0.42, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.48, p = 0.003), and a small effect size for improving mental health (SMD 0.34, 95% CI 0.37 to 1.19, p < 0.001). All differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Physical exercise has a positive impact on improving the physical and mental health of older adults, particularly in enhancing physical health, psychological well-being, and social interactions.

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