Water Aerobics Tied to Improvements in Body Weight for Overweight, Obesity

THURSDAY, March 20, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Water aerobics (WAs) improves body weight and waist circumference for adults with overweight or obesity, according to a review published online March 11 in BMJ Open.

Ziyan Ding, from Pukyong National University in Busan, South Korea, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to examine the effects of WAs on body composition.

Based on 10 included randomized controlled studies (286 participants), the researchers found that WAs were able to reduce body weight (weighted mean differences [WMD], −2.69; I² = 0.0 percent) and waist circumference (WMD, −2.75; I² = 27.0 percent). However, the effect of WAs on other body indicators was not significant. The certainty of evidence was low for body mass index, lean mass, fat mass, waist-to-hip ratio, and hip circumference based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) assessment and very low for percent body fat. The evidence was of moderate certainty for body weight and waist circumference.

“Health professionals should approach these results with caution and prioritize interventions with stronger evidence when aiming to target these specific outcomes,” the authors write. “However, the moderate certainty of evidence for body weight and waist circumference supports the use of WAs as an effective intervention for reducing overall body weight and central obesity, which were critical factors in managing obesity-related health risks.”

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