BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation
Effects of open-skill and closed-skill exercise on subdomains of executive function in healthy older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Abstract Background Executive-function decline can compromise independence in later life. Exercise may support executive function, but whether open-skill exercise confers greater benefits than closed-skill exercise across domains remains uncertain. Methods PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched from inception to 3 May 2026 without language restrictions. We included randomized controlled trials of structured exercise lasting at least 4 weeks in cognitively healthy older adults …