Impact of a 10-Week Aqua Fitness Intervention on Physical Fitness and Psychosocial Measures in Inactive Healthy Adult Women

Abstract

Background/objectives: Previous studies on aquatic exercises have primarily focused on either physical fitness or psychological outcomes. This study examines the effects of a structured 10-week aqua fitness program on physical fitness and psychosocial outcomes in healthy adult women. Additionally, a 4-week training cessation period was incorporated to assess the sustainability of any observed physical fitness benefits. Methods: A total of 32 female participants (mean age 51.28 ± 9.12 years) with prior aqua aerobics experience engaged in supervised aqua fitness sessions, conducted three times per week (~55 min/session) at moderate intensity (RPE = 12, on a 6–20 scale). The physical fitness outcomes assessed included dominant hand grip strength, lower limb muscle endurance, dynamic balance, mobility, and upper and lower limb flexibility. The psychosocial outcomes included subjective well-being and social inclusion. Results: The results demonstrate significant improvements in dynamic balance (ES = 0.85) and lower limb flexibility (ES = 0.73 and 0.65 for the two limbs, respectively), with smaller yet notable gains observed in other physical fitness outcomes (ES = from 0.20 to 0.48). On the contrary, only a marginal improvement was detected in a single domain of subjective well-being (environmental domain, ES = 0.35) and no changes were observed across the seven domains of social inclusion. Importantly, all physical fitness gains were maintained during the 4-week training cessation period, with lower limb flexibility showing additional improvements. Conclusions: These findings underscore the effectiveness of supervised aqua fitness programs in enhancing physical fitness in middle-aged women, while their impact on psychosocial outcomes appears limited in this population.