Effects of exercise program on anthropometric and blood pressure of obese individuals

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of an exercise program on anthropometrics variables and blood pressure (BP) in obese. Methods: For this, 25 subjects with a mean age of 53.8 years (± 12.5) and body mass index (BMI) of 33.1 kg/m2 (± 2.4) were submitted for a period of 12 weeks on a physical activity program. Before and after the training period, body weight, height and body circumferences were measured, to calculate BMI and waist-hip ratio. The BP measurements were obtained at rest by auscultation. To obtain these results, we applied the paired Student’s t-test and when necessary Willcoxon test, with significance level of 5% for all tests. Results: Significant changes were observed relating to systolic (10.6%) and diastolic (11.1%) blood pressure after the 12-week period of training. Conclusion: These data suggest that regular physical exercise helps to reduce blood pressure in obese.