Physical Exercise as a Physiological Modulator of Improving Cardiovascular Health in Obese Women

Abstract

The study purpose was to analyze the effective form of physical exercise in improving cardiovascular health in obese individuals. Materials and methods. Twenty-four (24) obese adolescents, aged 20–24 years, who met the criteria were selected as participants. The participants were divided into 3 groups, namely the control, the strength training, and the endurance training, with 8 participants in each group. Strength training was done with Machine Fitness, while endurance training used a Treadmill. Exercise was done with moderate intensity, for 35 minutes, the frequency of exercise was 3x/week, for 1 month. Heart rate and blood pressure, as parameters of heart health, were measured before and after treatment. Data analysis used the One-way ANOVA test with a significance level of 5%. Results. The results showed that there was a significant difference in cardiovascular health between endurance and strength training (p ≤ 0.05). Conclusions. Based on the study results, it was shown that endurance training is a potential physiological modulator to improve cardiovascular health in obese women.