Effects of Fitness App-Based Slow Jogging Intervention on Physical Fitness among Chinese Obese College Students

Obesity has become a global public health problem, and it has become more and more prominent among Chinese college students. The detection rate of obesity among college students is increasing year by year due to a lack of physical activity and an unhealthy lifestyle. While fitness apps are well developed and slow jogging is an emerging form of exercise with many advantages, there is a lack of research on combining the two for obese college students. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 12-week fitness app-based slow jogging exercise program on the physical fitness of obese college students. 131 obese college students were recruited and divided into an experimental group (66) and a control group (65) according to BMI, and the experimental group received the fitness app-based slow jogging intervention. The results showed that the intervention resulted in a significant decrease in body shape indicators such as weight, BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-hip ratio, and a substantial increase in VO2 max and sit-up performance. Still, the intervention effect was not significant in grip strength and sit and reach, which provided a scientific basis for the management of obesity in university physical education.