Health-Related Physical Fitness Benefits in Sedentary Women Employees after an Exercise Intervention with Zumba Fitness®

Abstract

Background: The protective properties of high physical fitness levels on health are manifest independently of age, sex, fatness, smoking, alcohol consumption, and other clinical factors. However, women are less active than men, which contributes to low physical fitness and a high risk of CVD. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyze the effect of two exercise interventions on health-related physical fitness in sedentary employed females. Methods: A total of 98 physically inactive adult women were randomly assigned to 3 study groups: the control group (CG) = 31, the endurance training group based on Zumba Fitness® classes (ET; n = 39), and the concurrent training group that had an extra muscle-strengthening workout after the Zumba Fitness® class (CnT; n = 28). Body composition (BMI, waist circumference), motor fitness (one-leg stand test), musculoskeletal fitness (shoulder–neck mobility, handgrip strength test, jump and reach test, and dynamic sit-up test), and cardiorespiratory fitness (2-km test and estimated VO2 max) were assessed with the ALPHA-Fit test battery for adults. Results: Both interventions showed a significant improvement in the majority of health-related fitness and body composition variables/test (waist circumference: ET = −2.275 ± 0.95, p = 0.02, CnT = −2.550 ± 1.13, p = 0.03; one-stand leg test: ET = 13.532 ± 2.65, p < 0.001; CnT = 11.656 ± 2.88, p < 0.001; shoulder–neck mobility: ET = 1.757 ± 0.44, p < 0.001, CnT = 2.123 ± 0.47, p < 0.001; handgrip test: 0.274 ± 0.08, p < 0.001, CnT = 0.352 ± 0.08, p < 0.001; dynamic sit-up: ET = 1.769 ± 0.45, p < 0.001, CnT = −1.836 ± 0.49, p < 0.001; 2-km test time: −1.280 ± 0.25, p < 0.001, CnT = −1.808 ± 0.28, p < 0.001; estimated VO2 max: ET = 1.306 ± 0.13, p < 0.001, CnT = 1.191 ± 0.15, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences after the intervention between the two exercise intervention groups. Conclusions: Exercise interventions based on Zumba fitness® or Zumba fitness® combined with an extra muscle-strengthening workout based on bodyweight training exercises are effective strategies to improve the health-related physical fitness in sedentary women employees.

Effects of Online Bodyweight High-Intensity Interval Training Intervention and Health Education on the Mental Health and Cognition of Sedentary Young Females

“…Participants in the intervention group, who underwent bodyweight HIIT-centered exercise, showed significant increases in participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and significant reductions in negative emotions over time, while the waitlist group, who only received health education focusing on the risk of sedentariness, had significant decreases in sedentary time. Our results are consistent with previous offline and online physical training intervention studies where physical training interventions were shown to improve physical activity behaviors in sedentary females [ 18 , 21 , 22 , 45 , 46 ]. Moreover, our findings support a previous meta-analysis study that concluded that health interventions, such as health education, with a focus on reducing sedentary behaviors could lead to a meaningful reduction in sedentary time [ 47 ].…”

Dance Fitness Classes Improve the Health-Related Quality of Life in Sedentary Women

“…Physical Functioning and Physical Role are related to the extent to which health limits physical activities, work, and other daily activities, which are strongly associated with the physical fitness level. In this sense, this improvement could be an expected result since it has been demonstrated that Zumba Fitness interventions improve physical fitness levels, especially cardiorespiratory fitness [50,51,54]. Additionally, the social functioning dimension referring to physical or emotional health problems that interfere with normal social life also improved in both exercise dance intervention groups.…”

Zumba®, Fat Mass and Maximum Oxygen Consumption: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…However, additional studies will elucidate if Zumba ® practice can be a useful activity to improve the cardiorespiratory fitness. All of the individual studies included here, showed that Zumba ® practice significantly improves VO 2peak [ 21 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 34 ] (see Table 3 ). However, due to the limited number of these studies and their small sample sizes, this meta-analysis could not directly identify improvements in VO 2peak resulting from Zumba ® training.…”

“…After reading the remaining seven studies, three did not meet the inclusion criteria and were excluded. Finally, five studies were suitable for inclusion in the systematic review [ 21 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 34 ] and four in the meta-analysis [ 21 , 26 , 34 ], but again, only the 12-week study by Barene, Krustrup, Jackman, Brekke and Holtermann [ 27 ] was included.…”

“…Table 1 summarizes the characteristics of the different studies included. A total sample of 373 participants was included in the systematic review (excluding those participants who were duplicated from articles, as happens with the manuscripts by Barene, Krustrup, Brekke and Holtermann [ 28 ] and Barranco-Ruiz and Villa-González [ 34 ]. Of these, 196 belonged to the Zumba group and 177 were the control group.…”