Effects of walking interventions on sleep outcomes in middle-aged and older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Authors

Mengjin Liu, Yunong Li, Yang Ma, Zheng Zhu

Published in

Scientific reports. Jul 09, 2026. Epub Jul 09, 2026.

Abstract

In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the effects of walking interventions on sleep outcomes among middle-aged and older adults were evaluated and the potential moderating effects of exercise duration and frequency were explored. Eight randomised controlled trials involving 683 participants were included. Subjective sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and objective outcomes included total sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep latency, and wake after sleep onset. Walking interventions were associated with longer total sleep time (MD = 34.23 min; 95% CI: 24.72 to 43.74) and reduced wake after sleep onset (MD = - 11.58 min; 95% CI: -18.50 to - 4.66). No significant effects were observed for sleep efficiency, sleep latency, or total PSQI score (MD = - 1.41, 95% CI: -3.18 to 0.36), with substantial heterogeneity observed in the PSQI scores. Subgroup analyses suggested that sessions lasting ≥ 30 min may be associated with greater sleep-related benefits, whereas evidence regarding exercise frequency was limited. Overall, walking interventions may improve selected objective sleep outcomes, but the evidence remains limited and should be interpreted cautiously. Further high-quality studies are needed to confirm these findings and clarify the optimal intervention parameters.

PMID:
42426183
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Jul 2026.

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