Benefits of 8-week fitness programs in health and fitness parameters

Abstract

considering the health and fitness improvements as main reasons for practice, the growing number of sport participants in health or fitness centers and the fitness trends for 2018, the aim of this work is to analyze the benefits of five different intervention groups with diet and without/with exercise program [G1) diet and no-exercise; G2) diet and weight training (WT); G3) diet and high intensity power training (HIPT); G4) diet and indoor cycling; G5) diet and boxing] in health and fitness parameters. Five groups were created and participants were evenly and randomly distributed (G1 to G5: n = 50; 25 f, 33.96 ± 3.42 years). In a first analysis, paired samples t test was used to compare each group, between pre-and post-test, at the dependent variables. In a second analysis, one-way ANOVA was used to compare the different groups, in pre-and post-test, also at the selected dependent variables, followed by a post-hoc continuation test when significant statistical differences between groups were detected. When the main reason for practice was loss of weight and fat mass, HIPT and boxing produced better results. For the increase of fat-free mass, WT presented better results. In fitness parameters, WT was the activity that presented better results in the increase of explosive lower strength and maximum upper strength, with significant statistical differences between the pre-and post-test. Fitness instructors can use this information to adapt, choose and prescribe healthy and adequate activities, according to the participants’ main reasons for practice, therefore, increasing their perception of quality, satisfaction, adherence to exercise practice and loyalty intention.