SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Aging and Public Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1626549
This article is part of the Research TopicBiomechanics of Aging: Advances in Exercise and Intervention Strategies for Older Adult WellnessView all 14 articles
Mind-body exercises interventions for improving sleep in older adults aged ≥60 years: A systematic review and network meta-analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1College of Physical Education, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
- 2College of Physical Education and International Equestrian College, Wuhan Business University, Wuhan, China
- 3Department of Physical Education, College of Science and Technology of China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
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i. Background: To assess the efficacy of various mind-body exercise interventions in enhancing sleep quality and to categorize them according to their influence. ii. Methods: We systematically searched databases such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CENTRAL, and Scopus until July 31, 2024. Our study focused on randomized controlled trials involving participants aged ≥ 60 years old. Two independent researchers conducted literature screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment. Data analysis was performed using Review Manager and Stata 15.0. The main outcome was overall sleep quality, with seven subdomains as secondary outcomes. All outcomes were assessed subjectively.iii. Result: A total of 30 studies involving 2,385 older adult participants were included. Metaanalysis results showed that mind-body exercise significantly reduced overall sleep quality scores in older adults compared to control groups [MD=-1.81, 95% CI (-2.29, -1.33), p<0.00001]. Network meta-analysis results indicated that Yoga had the highest SUCRA value (83.9%) for improving overall sleep quality in older adults. The ranking of the effectiveness of the four mind-body exercises on overall sleep quality in older adults was as follows: Yoga > Qigong > Pilates > Tai Chi.The findings of this study indicate that mind-body exercises can enhance sleep quality in older adults. Among the four types of mind-body exercises examined, Yoga showed the highest estimated efficacy. It is recommended that older adults select an exercise form that aligns with their personal preferences to promote sustained adherence in the long term.
Keywords: Network meta-analysis, Evidence-Based Practice, non-pharmacological interventions, PSQI, Aging, Sleep latency
Received: 21 May 2025; Accepted: 29 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Dong, Pang, Chao, Tao and Kuang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xiaoqin Kuang, Department of Physical Education, College of Science and Technology of China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
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