Introduction: Reaching old age safely represents a significant milestone in human progress. However, the decline in physical performance, specifically in areas such as balance, walking, and cognitive function, among other issues, in the elderly population is linked to a range of physical and psychological consequences and complications. Lack of concentrating on balance while doing simultaneous tasks may cause old people fall. Considering the importance of the issue of senescence, problems and limitations caused, this research is devoted to suggest some effective exercises for minimizing physical limitations and improving cognitive functions. Therefore, the general purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of movement exercises with and without cognitive load on the performance of dual tasks and visual memory of women over 60 years old.
Methods: To achieve this, semi- empirical research was designed carrying three pretest-posttest groups and plans among volunteer old women, adopting 24 persons purposefully as subjects and then dividing them randomly in three groups of eight people. At the beginning and also at the end of exercises, relevant tests as: Berg's Balance Test and test of timed stand and walk, were taken of both empirical and control groups in pretest and posttest; under circumstances of dual task and visual memory test of Jean Louis Sellier. Cognitive-movement exercises group under circumstances of dual task and balancing group individually, both practiced balancing exercises for 4 continuous weeks, three 45 minutes sessions each week. After compiling data, Shapiro-Wilk statistical test was used to check the normal distribution of data. For inter-group analysis, Kruskal- Wallis analysis style and for intra-group analysis, Wilcoxon analysis style; were used via SPSS-25 software at the level of significance of 0.05.
Results: Findings showed that Cognitive-movement exercises, had meaningful effects on performing dual tasks and visual memory in old women. Also, it was found that individual balancing exercises influence performing dual task and visual memory in old women. But no meaningful difference was seen between two types of Cognitive-movement and individual balancing exercises.
Conclusion: The results were discussed using Newman's theory of action-option and Neuroplasticity principle. Generally, it can be concluded that Cognitive-movement exercises and also individual balancing exercises cause an improvement in performing dual-tasks and reinforcement of visual memory in old women.
Keywords: movement exercises, cognitive load, cognitive-motor tasks