RESUMO
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of an exercise program on physical fitness, obesity indices, and blood lipids in cases of non-obese and obese women. METHOD: Data was collected from May, 2006 to November, 2006 in a public health center. All Subjects(37 women) participated in an exercise program that consisted of Latin dance, muscular strength training, and dumbbell exercises. Thirty-seven women were divided into two groups(16 non-obese women and 21 obese women) by %body fat. After 8 weeks, the effects of treatment were compared between pre-test and post-test in each group. RESULTS: Physical fitness(abdominal muscle strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, agility, balance) was significantly different between the pre-test and post-test in the non-obese and obese group. Obesity indices(body weight, BMI) was significantly different in obese women after the 8-week exercise program. There was no decrease of blood lipids in either group. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that an exercise program could be an effective nursing intervention to increase physical fitness in non-obese and obese women and to decrease obesity indices(body weight, BMI) in obese women.