Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of 12-week Greek traditional dances training for improving postmenopausal women cardiorespiratory fitness. Twenty three postmenopausal women, aged 55-68 years, were, randomly, chosen and separated to an experimental group (n=13) that attended a 12-week Greek traditional dances program at a frequency of three sessions per week, 50 minutes each, and a control group (n=10) that continued their daily habits for the same period. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by the six-minute walking test (6MWT) and resting heart rate (HR). For data analysis, the non-parametric test Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U test, and Pearson correlation of the SPSS ver. 20.0 for windows was used. No significant difference in the baseline measures was detected between the two groups. After the intervention program it was found out a significant decrease in resting HR (z=-2.50, p<0.05) for the experimental group, but an increase for the control group. A significant increase in distance travelled during the 6MWT (z=-3.18, p<0.01) was observed in the experimental group, while the control group presented a significant decrease (z=-2.49, p<0.05). The results provide evidence for the effectiveness of Greek traditional dances programs in improving the cardiorespiratory fitness of postmenopausal women.
Highlights
Menopause, the permanent cessation of menstruation due to complete depletion of the follicle pool, is postulated twelve months after the last menstrual period (Vryonidou, & Klonaris, 2010)
As for the anthropomorphological characteristics, there was no significant difference between the two groups
Weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) was significantly decreased in experimental group after the participation in the 12week Greek traditional dances program (p
Summary
The permanent cessation of menstruation due to complete depletion of the follicle pool, is postulated twelve months after the last menstrual period (Vryonidou, & Klonaris, 2010). The period of transition to menopause lasts from 2 to 9 years and is characterized by a multitude of endocrinological, biological, clinical and psychological changes, which are partly due to loss of number and function of the follicles, while others are the result of the normal aging process. Estrogen reduction predisposes to the occurrence of atherogenic dyslipidemia, which is one of the most important risk factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases in the female population and contributes by 25-30% to the increase of cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women (American Heart Association, 2011; Diakoumakou, & Diakoumakos, 2010; Elisaf et al, 2014; Knopp, 2002; Κοlovou, & Bilianou, 2008). The installation of an over-coagulated condition is associated with an increased risk for a cardiovascular occurrence (Edwards, & Li, 2000; Mavroudi et al, 2010; Zapantis, & Santoro, 2003)
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