Investigation of Pool Workouts on Weight, Body Composition, Resting Energy Expenditure, and Quality of Life among Sedentary Obese Older Women

The effects of water-based exercises on body composition continue to be controversial. The present study was proposed to assess the impact of pool workouts on weight, body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE), and the quality of life of sedentary obese older women without dietary intervention. Fifty-five sedentary obese women (mean age 69.5 ± 4.3 years) were selected in this prospective experimental study (2018). Participants were divided randomly into two groups: moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) and high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT). Both pool workouts models included a similar energy expenditure (1500 kcal/week), which were performed three times a week for 60 minutes each time and lasted for three months. The following measurements were carried out pre- and post-study: anthropometry, body composition, REE, and quality of life. The Wilcoxon nonparametric test was applied to compare between groups and times (pre- and post-study). The comparison of pre- and post-study showed significant decreases of body weight (-0.7 kg), BMI (-0.5 kg/m²), fat mass (FM, -0.7 kg), and REE (-81 kcal/day) for the MICT (p ˂ 0.05), and a significant decrease of the only FM (-0.7 kg) for the HIIT (p ˂ 0.05). Regarding the quality of life, decreased pain, social and vitality improvements were significant in the MICT group, but improved vitality and health status in the group of HIIT were significant. Pool workouts without the dietary control revealed a modest influence on the body composition of sedentary obese older women, with better results for MICT. However, the improvement in the quality of life cannot be ignored.

aged, body composition, exercise, obesity, weight reduction programs, women