THE EFFECT OF A 24-WEEK GREEK TRADITIONAL DANCES PROGRAM ON THE CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS OF ADULT PEOPLE

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of a Greek traditional dances program on adult people cardiorespiratory fitness. For this purpose, 40 sedentary healthy adults, 23 women and 17 men, aged 35-55 years, who didn’t participate in any group or individual exercise, physical activity or dancing program for the past six months, were randomly chosen and separated to an experimental and a control group. The subjects of the experimental group (n=20, 12 women and 8 men) attended a Greek traditional dances program of moderate intensity, at a frequency of three training sessions per week, for 60 minutes each, while the subjects of the control group (n=20, 11 women and 9 men) were asked to continue their daily habits for the same period. Maximal aerobic capacity (VO 2 max) was assessed for both groups before and after the 24-week period by the implementation of the Rockport one-mile walk test. Before and after the 24-week period, resting heart rate (RHR), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were, also, measured. For the statistical analysis the Statistical Package for Social Sciences ver. 23.0 for windows was used. No significant difference was found in the baseline measures between the two groups. After the participation in the 24-week Greek traditional dances program, VO 2 max of the experimental group increased significantly from 35,95 + 4,3 ml/kg/min to 38,91 + 3,7 ml/kg/min (t=-6,204, p 0,05), and SBP decreased from 125,6 + 7,7 mmHg to 122,6 + 7,7 mmHg (t=2,198, p<0,05). No significant difference was found after the 24-week period for the control group. The results allow us to use Greek traditional dances as an alternative and, also, effective form of physical activity that may help in improving aerobic capacity and may bring favorable changes in cardiorespiratory status of adult people. Article visualizations: