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

We are grateful to Ana Yara Postigo-Fuentes for her assistance with the English language edition, who can be contracted through the University of Granada, Plan Propio de Investigación 2016, Excellence actions: Units of Excellence, Unit of Excellence on Exercise and Health (UCEES), and by the Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidades and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), ref. SOMM17/6107/UGR.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

Supervised exercise following bariatric surgery in morbid obese adults: CERTbased exercise study protocol of the EFIBAR randomised controlled trial

The authors acknowledge the help of the participants that are taking part in the study. Moreover, authors appreciate the help to the hospitals, as well as the sports center of the University of Almería, who helped with the development of the project.The clinical datasets will be available according to the terms established in the Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03497546, i.e., once the study ends and the main results are published, contacting the responsible party ([email protected]).Trial registration: The trial was prospectively registered at Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03497546 on April 13, 2018.Background: There is increasing evidence of weight regain in patients after bariatric surgery (BS), generally occurring from 12 to 24 months postoperatively. Postoperative exercise has been suggested to ad long-term weight maintenance and to improve physical function in BS patients. However, there are a limited number of intervention studies investigating the possible benefits of exercise in this population. The aim of the current report is to provide a comprehensive CERT (Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template)-based description of the rationale and details of the exercise programme implemented in the EFIBAR Study (Ejercicio FÍsico tras cirugía BARiátrica), a randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of a 16-week supervised concurrent (aerobic and strength) exercise intervention program on weight loss (primary outcome), body composition, cardiometabolic risk, physical fitness, physical activity and quality of life (secondary outcomes) in patients with severe/morbid obesity following bariatric surgery. Methods: A total of 80 BS patients [60–80% expected women, aged 18 to 60 years, body mass index (BMI) ≥ 40 kg/m2 or ≥ 35 kg/m2 with comorbid conditions)] will be enrolled in the EFIBAR Randomized Control Trial (RCT). Participants allocated in the exercise group (n = 40) will undertake a 16-week supervised concurrent (strength and aerobic) exercise programme (three sessions/week, 60 min/session), starting 7 to 14 days after surgery. The rationale of the exercise programme will be described following the CERT criteria detailing the 16 key items. The study has been reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of the Torrecárdenas University Hospital (Almería, Spain) (ref. N° 76/2016). Discussion: The present study details the exercise programme of the EFIBAR RCT, which may serve: 1) exercise professionals who would like to implement an evidence-based exercise programme for BS patients, and 2) as an example of the application of the CERT criteria.This work was supported by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO), Plan Nacional de I + D + i call RETOS 2016, reference DEP2016–74926-R. These funding sources approved this study; however, they had no role in the design of this study and will not have any role during its execution, analyses, interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or decision to submit results

Efecto de un programa de acondicionamiento físico supervisado virtualmente sobre la condición física y el estrés percibido en docentes universitarios durante el confinamiento por COVID-19

The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of a virtually supervised fitness program on physical fitness and perceived stress in university teachers during lockdown due to COVID-19. A total of 15 university teachers participated in a virtual fitness program based on new fitness trends (4-weeks / 2-days / week / 45-minutes / session) during COVID-19 lockdown. Perceived physical fitness using the International-Fitness-Scale (IFiS) and perceived stress using the Perceived-Stress-Questionnaire (PSQ-30) were evaluated pre and post intervention. The virtual fitness program significantly improved the perception of general physical fitness (p = 0.011) and muscle strength (p = 0.024), and generated a significant decrease in the perception of stress (p &lt;0.001). A virtually supervised fitness program based on the “whole-body HIIT” fitness trend could be an effective strategy to ensure healthy levels of physical fitness and stress in university teachers during confinement situations.El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar el efecto de un programa de acondicionamiento físico supervisado virtualmente sobre la condición física y el estrés percibido en docentes universitarios durante la situación de confinamiento por COVID-19. Un total de 15 docentes universitarios participaron un programa de acondicionamiento físico virtual basado en nuevas tendencias fitness (4-semanas/2-días/semana/45-minutos/sesión) durante el confinamiento por COVID-19. La condición física percibida mediante la International-Fitness-Scale (IFiS) y el estrés percibido mediante el Perceived-Stress-Questionnaire (PSQ-30) fueron evaluados pre y post intervención. El programa de acondicionamiento físico virtual mejoró significativamente la percepción de la condición física general (p=0,011) y de la fuerza muscular (p=0,024), y generó una disminución significativa de la percepción de estrés (p&lt;0.001).  Un programa de acondicionamiento físico supervisado virtualmente basado en la tendencia fitness “HIIT whole-body” podría ser una estrategia eficaz para garantizar niveles saludables de condición física y estrés en docentes universitarios durante situaciones de confinamiento

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

Authors are grateful to valuable support of National University of Chimborazo, as well as to all participants of the study. We are grateful to Ana Yara Postigo-Fuentes for her assistance with the English language.Introduction: This study aims to analyze the effect of two dance-focused and choreographic fitness classes on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in sedentary worker women. Methods: 65 sedentary middle-aged worker women (38 ± 7.3 years old) completed a 16-week intervention randomly assigned to: (1) dance fitness group based on Zumba Fitness classes (DF group, n = 25)], (2) dance fitness + functional strength training group (DFFT group, n = 20), and (3) control group (n = 20). HRQoL was assessed by the 36-Item Short-Form Health-Survey (SF-36), which evaluates 8 dimensions of health [General Health (GH), Physical Functioning (PF), Social Functioning (SF), Physical Role (PR), Emotional Role (ER), Bodily Pain (BP), Vitality (V), and Mental Health (MH)] scored from 0 (worst) to 100 (best health status). Results: The control group statistically differed from both exercise groups in PF and PR, and from the DF group in SF and MH showing a lower score. No statistical differences were observed between exercise groups post-intervention, except in V. DF group showed increases in GH, PF, SF, V, PR, and MH post-intervention. Conclusions: A 16-week dance fitness intervention based on Zumba Fitness classes generates notable improvements in a wide range of HRQoL dimensions in sedentary middle-aged worker women, especially in V, PR and MH dimensions

Physiological responses to the special judo fitness test in elite Spanish judo athletes: a new monitoring approach

[EN] The physiological assessment of the elite athlete is of critical importance for his/her health and competitive success

Special judo fitness test level and anthropometric profile of elite female cadet judokas

[EN] Judo is a weight‐categorized sport, thus, the athlete must achieve excellent physical fitness while maintaining an optimal body mass

Supervised Exercise Immediately After Bariatric Surgery: the Study Protocol of the EFIBAR Randomized Controlled Trial

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), Plan Nacional de I+D+i calls RETOS 2016 (reference DEP2016-74926-R) and RETOS 2018 (reference RTI2018-093302-A-I00). EM-R and MAI were funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (FPU18/01107 and FPU17/01158, respectively). AH-M and LL-S were funded by the predoctoral fellowship program of the University of Almeria. The funding sources approved this study although they had no role in the design and will not have any role during its execution, analyses and interpretation of the data, writing manuscripts, or decision to submit for publication.Background Previous studies have investigated weight loss caused by exercise following bariatric surgery. However, in most cases, the training programis poorly reported; the exercise type, volume, and intensity are briefly mentioned; and the sample size, selection criteria, and follow-up time vary greatly across studies. Purpose The EFIBAR study aims to investigate over 1 year the effects of a 16-week supervised exercise program, initiated immediately after bariatric surgery, on weight loss (primary outcome), body composition, cardiometabolic risk, physical fitness, and quality of life in patients with severe/extreme obesity. Material and Methods The EFIBAR study is a parallel-group, superiority, randomized controlled trial (RCT), comprising 80 surgery patients. Half of the participants, randomly selected, perform a 16-week supervised exercise program, including both strength and aerobic training, starting immediately after the surgery (7–14 days). For each participant, all primary and secondary outcomes are measured at three different time points: (i) before the surgery, (ii) after the intervention (≈4 months), and (iii) 1 year after the surgery.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), Plan Nacional de I+D+i calls RETOS DEP2016-74926-R RTI2018-093302-A-I00Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities FPU18/01107 FPU17/01158predoctoral fellowship program of the University of Almeri

Mode of commuting to school and its association with physical activity and sedentary habits in young Ecuadorian students

Active commuting to and from school (ACS) could help to increase daily physical activity levels in youth; however, this association remains unknown in Ecuadorian youth. Thus, the aims of this study were (1) to determine the patterns of commuting to and from school and (2) to analyze the associations between ACS, physical activity (PA), and sedentary habits in Ecuadorian youth. A total of 732 students (65.3% males), aged 10–18 years (children = 246, young adolescents = 310, older adolescents = 162) from the central region of Ecuador participated in this study. A self-report questionnaire, including the usual mode and frequency of commuting, distance from home to school (PACO-Questionnaire), and PA and sedentary habits (YAP-Questionnaire), was used. Most of the sample lived ?2 km from school; however, they were mainly passive commuters (96%). The most common mode of commuting was by car (to school = 43.4%, from school = 31.6%; p less than 0.001). Children presented significantly higher scores (0–4) in PA outside school and total PA compared with older adolescents (2.20 ± 0.97 vs. 1.97 ± 0.96; p = 0.013 and 2.30 ± 0.76 vs. 2.09 ± 0.74, p = 0.019, respectively), as well as the lowest scores in sedentary habits (1.51 ± 0.65, p less than 0.001). PA at school and total PA were positively associated with ACS (OR 3.137; 95% CI, 1.918 to 5.131; p less than 0.001, and OR 2.543; 95% CI, 1.428 to 4.527; p = 0.002, respectively). In conclusion, passive modes of transportation were the most frequently used to commute to and from school in young Ecuadorians. PA at school and total PA were positively associated with ACS. Thus, interventions at school setting could be an opportunity to improve PA levels and additionally ACS in youth from the central region of Ecuador. © 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland