Tiered Exercise Intervention Improves Functional Mobility In Obese African American Women

Regular physical activity (PA) has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, chronic inflammatory disorders as well as improve functional mobility. The lack of mobility can negatively impact an individual’s ability to take part in PA which can lead to a poorer quality of life. Interventions promoting a healthy lifestyle are more likely to succeed if they are culturally tailored for PA adherence. Several barriers to PA have been identified among Obese African American women that include lack of time, health conditions, issues related to body size, and lack of knowledge. PURPOSE: To improve functional mobility in Obese African American women through a culturally tailored PA program. METHODS: Twenty-three Obese African American women (58 ± 12 years; %Bodyfat: 43.4 ± 2.6) volunteered to participate in a 24-week tiered exercise intervention that included both in-person and virtual exercise sessions. Body composition was assessed using skinfold measures (%Bodyfat). Timed-up-and-go (TUG) and the 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) were conducted to evaluate functional movement. All measurements were collected at baseline and after 12 weeks into the program. Participants self-selected into exercise cohorts based upon the time/days that fit their schedules. Supervised exercise sessions took place in-person 3x/wk. at the exercise facility. The exercise intervention included cardiovascular exercise (bike, cycle ergometer, walking), resistance exercises, balance activities, and/ or flexibility exercises. RESULTS: This is an ongoing project and reported results are following Phase I (baseline to 12 weeks). Paired samples T-tests were conducted to compare %Bodyfat, TUG, and 6MWD from baseline to week 12. Regular PA resulted in statistically significant improvement in functional movement. TUG measures (9.5 s ± 1.4 s vs. 8.8 s ± 1.5 s; p = 0.020) and 6MWD (488 m ± 44 m vs. 519 m ± 76.6 m; p = 0.027). At this time, PA did not alter %Bodyfat composition from baseline to week 12 (43.4% vs. 43% (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that regular PA in Obese African American women leads to increased functional mobility as measured by the TUG test and endurance as measured by the 6MWD regardless of no change in %Bodyfat. This study was funded by a Health-Disparities Research Grant from Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) IRB#22-07-FB-0147