Abstract

The main objective of this study was to design and apply an intervention program based on rhythmic and choreographic activities and to analyze its effects according to the nutritional monitoring undertaken. This importance of this kind of intervention lies in the consequences of this disease on world public health as well as the existing difficulty in prescribing exercise due to the low motivation to practice.
Multi-component studies are important in order to offer better quality of life and physical, anthropometric and psychological capacities, among others. For this reason, the effects of the intervention program with rhythmic and choreographic activities were analyzed, in which nutritional monitoring was undertaken by a health center compared to another similar intervention with work on nutritional habits based on specific workshops.
Intervention programs lasting 8 months were design, each with obese people. The first intervention study was made up of 34 participants (25 women and 9 men) aged 50.43 ± 10.57. The physical activity sessions were twice a week in person, along with one unsupervised strength work session using elastic bands. The in-person sessions were based on rhythmic and choreographic activities using dances like salsa, bachata, merengue, cha-cha-cha and quaternary rhythms for the dance phase. They lasted 60 minutes: 10 minutes for warm-up, 40 minutes for the dance phase and rhythm activities, and 10 minutes for cool-down. Furthermore, the intensity of each session was controlled using Borg’s Perceived Exertion Scale. After the intervention, different variables were measured on physical condition, body composition, anthropometric measurements, bone density, quality of life and self-esteem. Furthermore, semi-structured interviews were held so the participants could describe and interpret the context. After the analysis, the second intervention was conducted with the same characteristics but with a personalized diet that was exhaustively monitored, along with educational workshops on nutritional habits. The sample was made up of 34 participants (27 women and 7 men) aged 48.72 ± 12.34, and the same variables were analyzed.
Both studies contributed to improving the loss of fatty mass and to increasing quality of life and self-esteem. In both studies, improvements were made in the physical-condition parameters; however, the second intervention study showed more significant anthropometric improvements.
In short, rhythmic and choreographic activities are a tool which can favor adherence to and fun with physical activity in obese persons, regardless of nutritional monitoring, in addition to helping improve their physical condition, body composition, psychological aspects and bone density.