The Effects of Zumba Fitness ® on Respiratory Function and Body Composition Parameters: An Eight-Week Intervention in Healthy Inactive Women

Adriana Ljubojevic, Vladimir Jakovljevic, Snezana Bijelic, Ioan Sârbu (), Dragoș Ioan Tohănean (), Constantin Albină and Dan Iulian Alexe ()
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Adriana Ljubojevic: Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, University of Banja Luka, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vladimir Jakovljevic: Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, University of Banja Luka, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Snezana Bijelic: Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, University of Banja Luka, 78000 Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ioan Sârbu: 2nd Department of Surgery—Pediatric Surgery and Orthopedics, “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania
Dragoș Ioan Tohănean: Faculty of Physical Education and Mountain Sports, Transilvania University of Brașov, 500036 Brasov, Romania
Constantin Albină: Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, University of Craiova, 200585 Craiova, Romania
Dan Iulian Alexe: Faculty of Movement, Sports and Health, Sciences, “Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau, 600115 Bacau, Romania

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Background: Women are considered less active than men, and a sedentary lifestyle particularly affects middle-aged women and affects their overall health. Recommending group fitness programs that have a positive effect on women’s overall health is an important strategy of any health policy. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate how the Zumba Fitness ® workout affects healthy inactive women’s respiratory function and body composition. Methods: The research was conducted for eight weeks on a sample of 41 females aged 35 to 45 divided into two groups: experimental (21 subjects: age 38.52 ± 2.29) and control (20 subjects: age 39.45 ± 3.01). They were tested before, four weeks, and eight weeks after the intervention period. The respiratory functions were tested using spirometry and the body composition parameters by the Tanita body analyzer. The experimental group practiced Zumba Fitness ® three times per week for 60 min (24 training sessions in total). The control group was not physically active during the intervention period. Results: After the Zumba Fitness ® program, the experimental group showed a significant improvement in the following respiratory function parameters: forced expiratory volume in the first second (M = 4.02 ± 0.69; MD = 0.65, p = 0.01, ES = 0.14), vital capacity (M = 4.10 ± 0.65: MD = −0.63, p = 0.03, ES = 0.11) and lung age (M = 30.95 ± 10.30; MD = 8.52, p = 0.04, ES = 0.10). The body composition parameters were significantly decreased: body mass (M = 60.09 ± 7.57; MD = 6.32, p = 0.03, ES = 0.11), body mass index (M = 20.44 ± 2.63; MD = 2.61, p = 0.01, ES = 0.13) and fat mass (M = 16.07 ± 4.87; MD = 3.95, p = 0.03, ES = 0.11). Conclusions: The results of the current study suggest that the Zumba Fitness ® workout is a beneficial exercise method not only for reducing body parameters but also for improving respiratory function in inactive women.

Keywords: body fat; vital capacity; dance; fitness; sedentary; health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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