IMPACT OF ZUMBA TRAINING ON BODY COMPOSITION AND EATING BEHAVIOR IN OBESE WOMEN DURING COVID-19

Background. The aim of the study was to compare the effect of 8 weeks of online Zumba exercises and walking on body composition, eating attitude and body image perception in overweight and obese women during the pandemic.Material and methods. A cohort of 150 obese women aged between 20 and 40 years old were classified as Control (n=50), Walking (n=50) and Zumba (n=50) groups. All groups received dietary counselling, while the Zumba and walking groups received 8 weeks of exercise intervention. Bioimpedance, Body Image Scale and Three-Factor Nutrition Questionnaire-Revised 18 Items Scale were used to assess body composition, body image satisfaction and eating behavior, respectively. Paired Sample T test and ANOVA analysis were used at the significance level of alpha =0.05.Results. Walking and Zumba exercise groups had lower BMI, fat mass, fat percentage and waist-to -hip ratio. The body image increased significantly in both walking and Zumba groups, while a decline was determined in the control group at the end of the study. Uncontrolled eating, emotional eating and sensitivity to hunger decreased in walking and Zumba groups, while there was no significant difference in cognitive restrain for all three groups.Conclusions. It can be concluded that 8-week home-based online Zumba exercise with self-monitoring via Smartphone apps was as effective as walking for improving body composition and eating attitudes of overweight and obese women.