Abstract:
This study aims at investigating the effects of low impact aerobic dance on total-cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and body fat of adult women. Subjects included 20 members of Saensuk Women Club. They were divided into experimental (n=10) and control (n=10) groups. The experiment took eight weeks. The experimental group engaged in low impact aerobic dance program. Immediately prior to the experiment period, all subjects were evaluated for health status, body fat (skinfold measurement) and all parameters studied in blood. The experimental group then started the low impact aerobic dance program of 45 min. each day and 5 days per week. Meawhile, those in the control group continued their normal daily activity. At the end of the experiment, blood was drawn again from subjects for estimation of TC, TG and HDL-C values. skinfold measurements were taken again for estimation of percent body fat. Data were analyzed for arithmetic mean and standard deviation; t-test and ANCOVA were used for futher analyses of the data.Results of the study revealed the followings :1. TC, TG HDL-C levels and percent body fat of those in the experimental group before and after the experiment were 234.90+-25.57, 238.20+-37.53; 104.70+-28.98, 139.7+-120.11; 51.40+-16.60, 51.50+-14.83 mg/dl and 36.50+-9.16, 31.39+-3.22 percent, respectively.2. The mean values of the amount of TC, TG, HDL-C levels and percent body fat of those in control group before and after the eight weeks period were 251.20+-26.01, 231.80+-31.61; 143.40+-48.89, 157.0+-75.79; 47.8+-9.89, 44.90+-10.34 mg/dl and 34.52+-6.17, 33.08+-6.27 percent respectively. There was a significant difference, at .05 lvel, in the amount of TC between pre and post experiment in the control group. However, no significant difference in the amount of TG, HDL-C and body fat were found.3. The mean difference of the amount of TC, TG, HDL-C levels and percent body fat of those in experimental and control group before and after the eight weeks period were -3.30+-30.47, 19.40+-26.61; -35.0+-112.13, -13.60+-71.62; -0.10+-11.94, 2.90+-9.45 mg/dl and 5.11+-7.39, 1.44+-2.23 percent respectively. There was no significant difference in the mean difference of TC, TG, HDL-C and body fat.The reasons why eight weeks training of low impact aerobic dance program did not reduce the amount of TC, TG body fat of adult women and increased the amount of HDL-C were probably because the eating habits of the experimental group. It was possible that some of the subjects consumed foods that could cause a rise in TG levels. In addition, some of the subjects in the experimental group were rather overweight. This could effect their exercise performance and may be another factor responsible for no change in TC, TG, HDL-C and body fat values. Busy work schedule of the control group, causing a difference in meal time, could be another factor responsible for change of TC, TG, HDL-C levels and percent body fat. It could therefore be concluded that the eight weeks training of low impact aerobic dance program did not effect the levels of TC, TG, HDL-C in the blood and the amount of body fat of adults female. Further study is needed in order to obtain a clearer answers.