Deep water running to improve obese middle age women physical fitness: single-group experimental study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was check force, flexibility, cardio-respiratory strength and body composition improvement on 31 obese sedentary and healthy women (38 to 57 years old), with no food restriction, through Deep Water Running practice. This activity is carried out in a deep swimming pool where practiser uses a floater attached to the waist allowing him to have the body submerged to the shoulders with safety, with no contact with its bottom, to perform running movement. Duration was seventeen weeks intervention, with three weekly sessions of 52 minutes, in a single-group experimental study with initial and final assessment. At analytical level Student t test was used for samples paired at 5% significance level. The values obtained indicate: weigh maintenance (p >; 0.05), flexibility improvement (p < 0.05) and strength (p < 0.05), body fat reduction (p < 0.05) and cardio-respiratory condition increase (p < 0.05). Before such findings it was suggested that Deep Water Running practice could be considered in the control and reduce body fat and to improve obese women physical fitness.