Aquatic exercise is being increasingly recommended for healthy individuals as well as people with some special health conditions. A systematic review with meta‐analysis was performed to synthesize and analyze data on the effects of water‐based training (WT) programs on health status and physical fitness of healthy adults and adults with diseases to develop useful recommendations for health and sports professionals. We searched three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus) up to June 2021 for randomized trials that examined WT in adults. A total of 62 studies were included, of which 26 involved only healthy individuals and 36 focused on adults with chronic diseases. In the healthy group, the effects of WT on strength, balance, and cardiorespiratory fitness were beneficial, indicating the usefulness of performing WT for at least 12 weeks (2–3x/week, 46–65 min/session). Among adults with diseases, improvements were observed in patients with fibromyalgia (in balance and cardiorespiratory fitness), bone diseases (pain, balance, flexibility, and strength), coronary artery disease (strength and anthropometry), hypertension (quality of life), stroke (quality of life), diabetes (balance and quality of life), multiple sclerosis (quality of life and balance), and Parkinson's disease (pain, gait, cardiorespiratory fitness, and quality of life). Research is required to determine the effects of WT on patients with heart disease, especially coronary artery disease. In adults with chronic disease, benefits in physical fitness and/or other health‐related measures were mainly observed after 8–16 weeks of training. WT is an effective physical activity when the intention is to enhance health and physical fitness in healthy adults and adults with chronic diseases.

The main purpose of the present study was to verify the effects of a 12-week water aerobics program in a real-life context on health indicators and physical fitness in adults and older adults. Fifteen volunteers (58.80 ± 14.32 years old) were part of an experimental group (Exercise), and eight volunteers (59.00 ± 12.26 years old) were part of the control group (Control). The Exercise performed 45 min of water aerobics twice a week for 12 weeks; no physical exercise was permitted for the Control during the same period. The evaluations were performed the week before (pre-training) and after the training program (post-training). The primary outcomes were the strength and cardiorespiratory fitness variables and the secondary outcomes included body anthropometry, lipid profile and blood pressure. Adjusted analysis for age and baseline values showed no differences between Exercise and Control in post-training moment. However, there was a moderated tendency for increased explosive strength of the upper limbs (η_p² = 0.17), reduced body fat (η_p² = 0.17), reduced systolic blood pressure (η_p² = 0.14) and triglycerides (η_p² = 0.19) in Exercise. Within groups changes showed that the training program caused an increase mainly in explosive strength in the upper limbs (0.26 m, 95% CI, 0.03, 0.49; ES = 0.63) In addition, there was a significant decrease in fat mass (-0.89%, 95% CI, -1.74, -0.03; ES = 0.61) and in the systolic blood pressure (-0.83 mmHg, -1.46, -0.19; ES = 0.71). Nonetheless, no significant changes were observed for the lipid profile. These results suggest that 12 weeks of water aerobics performed twice a week in a real-life context seem to benefit the explosive strength, body composition, and blood pressure of adults and older adults but is insufficient to alter cardiorespiratory fitness and lipid profiles.

Background: Physical activity is essential in acquiring healthy lifestyle behaviors in the early years of maturational development and preventing various diseases. Resistance training (RT) is fundamental for improving body composition and is increasingly recommended for obese adolescents. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to synthesize and analyze data on the effects of RT programs in this population, seeking to develop useful recommendations for health and sports professionals. Methods: A search was performed using four databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and ScienceDirect). According to specific inclusion criteria, twenty-one studies were selected to evaluate the impact of RT on body mass index (BMI), body fat, waist circumference, muscle strength, insulin sensitivity, lean mass and cardiorespiratory fitness. Results: After the RT programs, the adolescents improved their muscle strength (SMD, 1.44; 95% CI: 0.76–2.12), cardiorespiratory fitness (SMD, 1.09; 95% CI: 0.15–2.04), BMI (SMD, 0.21; 95% CI: 0.07–0.35), waist circumference (SMD, 0.27; 95% CI: 0.06–0.47) and body fat (SMD, 0.20; 95% CI: 0.05–0.34). However, insulin sensitivity (SMD, 0.32; 95% CI: − 0.47 to 1.10) and lean mass (SMD, 0.12; 95% CI: − 0.06 to 0.31) did not reveal any changes. Different RT programs were used but it seems that 2–3 times/week ∼60 min/session of RT for 12 weeks should be recommended for positive changes. Conclusions: RT seems to be effective when the objective is to improve muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness and can be an efficient strategy to reduce obesity in adolescents by reducing body fat, waist circumference and body mass index. PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42022333411.

Military personnel need physical fitness to effectively carry out operational military activities within their specific field of operation. This research investigates the effects of a 34-week training program on Angolan cadets’ body composition, muscle strength, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Seventy-four volunteer recruits, aged 18 to 26 years, were monitored during their eight-month military service, following an exercise program protocol comprising 12 weeks of strength training followed by 24 weeks of endurance training. Anthropometric variables, including body mass, body mass index, and fat mass, were assessed, along with cardiorespiratory fitness (VO₂max), sprint performance, countermovement jump (CMJ), medicine ball throw, push-ups, and curl-ups. The physical training protocol encompassed running sessions, strength exercises, agility drills, and flexibility exercises. The initial assessment revealed gender differences in various parameters such as body mass, body fat percentage, VO₂max, sprinting, countermovement jump (CMJ), medicine ball throw, and push-ups. Following the training program, changes were observed in all variables (effect size between 0.48 and 2.33, p < 0.01) for the participants. Significant interactions (sex × time) were found in body mass (F = 5.18, p = 0.03, ηp² = 0.06), body fat percentage (F = 5.31, p < 0.01, ηp² = 0.14), and medicine ball throw (F = 10.84, p < 0.01, ηp² = 0.13). Specifically, males exhibited a greater reduction in body mass (females: 2.70%, males: 3.47%, p < 0.05) and a substantial improvement in ball throwing performance (females: 7.74%, males: 11.47%, p < 0.01), while females experienced a greater reduction in fat mass (females: 5.34%, males: 3.15%, p < 0.01). The physical training regimen effectively influenced body composition, particularly in enhancing strength performance among males. The integration of exercise programs with military service led to a notable reduction in fat tissue and an increase in lean tissue. Hence, the development of tailored training protocols is imperative to enhance the physical capacity and overall health of military recruits, considering sex-specific characteristics and physical attributes.

Background and Aims: The current study aimed to compare the effects of 12 weeks of moderate versus high‐intensity water aerobics on muscle strength, body composition, lipid profile, blood pressure, and quality of life in both adults and older adults.Methods: Twenty‐one women (65.19 ± 9.37 years) were randomly allocated to moderate (MIG; n = 11) or high‐intensity groups (HIG; n = 10). Both groups attended 45‐min sessions twice a week for 12 weeks. Assessments at baseline and posttraining included muscle endurance, explosive strength, body mass, body mass index, fat mass, fat‐free mass, triglycerides, total cholesterol, blood pressure, resting heart rate, general quality of life, and general health, and the physical, psychological, social relationships, and environmental domains of quality of life.Results: HIG experienced greater reductions in cholesterol (η_p² = 0.28) and fat mass (η_p² = 0.35), and an increase in fat‐free mass (η_p² = 0.35), compared to the MIG. The HIG also showed greater improvements in triglycerides (η_p² = 0.24) and physical quality of life (η_p² = 0.19) than MIG. No significant group × time interactions were found in the other variables. Nevertheless, muscular endurance and psychological quality of life were improved in both groups (p < 0.05, ES ≥ 0.57). The HIG was the only group to experience a reduction in diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.04, ES = −0.71), while the MIG showed no significant change. Explosive strength did not change in either group.Conclusion: The study suggests that high‐intensity water aerobics provide additional benefits over moderate intensity for body composition, blood lipids, diastolic blood pressure, and physical quality of life in adults and older adults. However, both intensities effectively improved muscular endurance and psychological quality of life. Future studies should include a larger number of participants and groups (e.g., control group), longer interventions, and controlled dietary intake. Nonetheless, the current results demonstrate that exercise intensity is an important variable for optimal water aerobics outcomes.