Get fit together study

Background

‍Globally, 1.5 billion adults are currently overweight and of these, 500 million are obese. Additionally, more than 62% of adults aged under 40 are not regularly physically active and 20% are not active at all. Not exercising can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, mental health disease, mood fluctuations, osteoporosis and arthritis.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends the following to help people live a healthy lifestyle:
• 60 minutes of cardiovascular activity 3 - 5 days per week
• 8 - 10 strength exercises twice per week
• Flexibility exercises once per week

The Question

‍Can LES MILLS™ group fitness classes satisfy the ACSM recommendations and make significant changes to people’s health?

Method

‍Twenty-five sedentary (but otherwise healthy) adults (15 women and 10 men) aged 25 - 40 completed a 30-week group exercise program. This involved participants undertaking:
• A six-week familiarization period (where fitness classes were introduced gradually and time spent exercising increased progressively to reduce injury risks as well as to optimize adhesion to the program)
• A 12-week block of six group fitness classes every week (three cardiovascular, two strength, and one flexibility)
• A 12-week block of seven group fitness classes per week (four cardiovascular, two strength, and one flexibility)

The participants were assessed both prior to, mid-way through, and after the 30-week exercise program. At the end of the program, each study participant showed significant reductions in areas such as body mass, fat mass, and cholesterol. A gradual introduction to group exercise classes also helped increase participants’ confidence and capability week-on-week.

Results

‍Study participants who initially had a poor fitness level developed an above-average fitness level after 30 weeks of LES MILLS group fitness classes and increased their aerobic capacity by an average of 55.9%. In just 30 weeks the research group delayed the onset of cardiovascular disease by an average of 3.6 years.
Participants who simply engaged in the prescribed LES MILLS programs lowered their body fat by an average of 6.9% for men and 4.1% for women. Muscle mass increased by an average of 13.6 lbs for men and 2.6 lbs for women. The participants achieved 98.8% compliance across the 30-week duration.

Conclusion

‍A combination of LES MILLS classes creates significant physiological, musculoskeletal and psychological changes in people’s health. Beginners enjoyed group fitness as their interest increased while their stress decreased throughout the 30 weeks.
The study demonstrated that acclimatizing members slowly improves compliance.