Cognitive decline represents a biological consequence of the aging process, frequently compromising the independence and quality of life women aged 60 or older. Deep water running (DWR) provides low-impact aerobics alternative capable of mitigating these effects. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a 12-week DWR program on the global cognitive performance of untrained older women. In this randomized controlled trial, forty-nine women aged 60 or older were allocated to either an intervention group (n = 25), which performed a 12-week interval DWR protocol twice weekly, or a control group (n = 24) involved in social and recreational activities, once a week. Global cognitive and its domains was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Data were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) based on the intention-to-treat principle, and the effect size was measured by Hedges' g. A significant group x time interaction was observed for the total MoCA score (p = 0.022). The intervention group demonstrated clinical improvement, progressing from a baseline of 23.12 to 25.76 points after twelve weeks, whereas the control group remained stable (pre: 22.17; post: 22.07). The magnitude of change in the intervention group was confirmed by a medium effect size (g = 0.99) Additionally, significant time-related improvements were observed, independent of group, for the attention (p=0.001), naming (p=0.037), and delayed recall (p=0.014) domains. A 12-week DWR effectively enhances global cognitive performance in untrained older women
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