Community Exercise: Boosting Mental Health in Older Adults, Brazilian Style

If you're wondering whether joining a community exercise class could boost mental well-being as you age, recent research from Brazil has some encouraging news — especially if traditional gym workouts aren’t your thing.

What the Study Asked and How It Was Done

This week, Brazilian researchers from Guarabira dug into the link between community-based exercise and mental health in older adults. They wanted to know: Do older people who join an 8-week community exercise programme have better mental health than those who don’t move much?

They recruited two groups of women aged roughly 65-79:

24 active ladies who took part in a community programme meeting three times a week for 8 weeks. Their activities were quite the mix: Pilates, water aerobics, and Brazilian capoeira — a martial art/dance known for rhythm and agility.
30 women who were physically inactive, not doing regular exercise.

After the 8 weeks, both groups filled out questionnaires rating their levels of stress, anxiety, and depression using a well-established tool called the DASS-21 (short for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale).

The Big Reveal: Exercise Made a Huge Difference

The exercise group reported dramatically lower levels of anxiety, depression, and stress — by a margin that researchers described as “very large” to “almost huge” effect sizes. To put that into perspective, the active group’s mental health indicators were significantly better than their inactive peers’ across the board.

For example:

Anxiety scores were roughly halved.
Depression scores dropped by more than half.
Stress levels plummeted similarly.

These benefits came despite the exercise programme being only eight weeks long.

So, What Does This Mean for You?

This isn’t just about being able to touch your toes or do a push-up — it’s about meaningful mental health support through physical activity, especially for older adults.

Here’s why it matters:

The study's blend of Pilates, water aerobics, and capoeira offers variety, making exercise more engaging.
Community classes add social connections, which help combat loneliness.
These forms of exercise are low-risk and accessible, even for those not keen on gyms.
Joining a community class can be an effective way to improve mood and reduce psychological distress.

If you’re sitting on the fence about getting active, this study sends a clear message: it’s well worth it, even mixing in activities that might feel a bit unconventional.

What’s Unique About This Study?

Many prior studies focus on standard exercises like walking or resistance training. This one stands out by including capoeira and Pilates — activities less commonly studied, especially in developing countries.

The research took place outside major urban centres, in a regional city with unique cultural and socioeconomic characteristics. This extends our understanding of community exercise benefits beyond wealthy urban populations.

A Few Caveats

The study wasn’t a randomized trial, so we can’t say exercise caused better mental health conclusively. Still, the results are powerful.
Most inactive participants were already receiving some mental health treatment, which might have influenced the size of observed differences.
Only older women participated, so generalising results to men or younger people is premature.

How to Take Action Right Now

Seek out local community-based exercise programmes. Look for variety — classes that mix socialising, gentle movement, and something fun.
Consider Pilates or water aerobics if you want a low-impact start.
Explore cultural or dance-based activities like capoeira; they engage mind and body and offer social bonding.
Don’t wait for symptoms of mental distress — starting an enjoyable activity can be a great preventive step.

To Sum Up

Older adults who stay active in structured, community-based programmes combining Pilates, water aerobics, and capoeira appear to enjoy substantially better mental health than inactive peers. These accessible, culturally enriched activities could play a key role in public health strategies supporting mental well-being during ageing — worth keeping in mind whether you’re 30, 60, or beyond.

If you’re interested in the full details, the original study is available here: Do Older Adults Engaged in a Community-Based Exercise Program Have Better Mental Health Indicators?