Aqua Zumba Versus Aqua Jogging: Comparative Effects on Health Parameters among Obese Middle Aged Women

Abstract

Background: Obesity is major contributor to diseases and mortality. Constant weight loss significantly reverses diseases related to obesity and helps prolong human life expectancy. To date, there has been limited scientific evidence comparing the effectiveness of the Aqua Zumba® Fitness program and conventional aqua jog among obese women. Thus, the purpose of this study is to compare the effects between 12 weeks of Aqua Zumba® Fitness and aqua jog on health parameters among middle-age women. Methods: A total of sixty sedentary obese women (BMI >30 kg/m2), aged 40-59 years old were randomized to either Aqua Zumba® Fitness (AZ, n=20), aqua jog (AJ, n=20) or control group (C, n=20). Exercise groups were involved in different 12-week aqua exercise programs, 3 times per week, 60 minutes per session, with an intensity of 50-75% of maximum heart rate. Body mass (BM), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), body fat percentage (BF%), waist circumference (WC), upper and lower body strength (UBS and LBS), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and flexibility were measured at baseline (week-0) and post-exercise intervention (week-13). Result: The AZ group demonstrated significant changes (p<0.05) in all selected health parameters following 12 weeks of exercise programs. AJ group also demonstrated significant differences (p<0.05) in most of the health parameters except for WC and UBS post-intervention. However, this study found that the AZ group produced significant superior changes in the improvement of SMM, WC, UBS and LBS (P<0.05) when compared to the AJ group. Conclusion: The Aqua Zumba Fitness program elicits better improvement in all health parameters among obese middle-aged women as compared to aqua jog.