Effect of Aerobic Dancing Programme on Physiological Components of Female Undergraduate Students in the University of Calabar

The study investigated the effects of the aerobics dancing programme (ADP) on the physiological components of female students at the University of Calabar. Three research questions were raised with their corresponding hypotheses. The Pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design was adopted. The population was made up of 1226 female undergraduate students at the University of Calabar, out of which a sample of 60 was derived using a multistage sampling technique. The standardised instrument utilised in arriving at the collation of data was a digital sphygmomanometer for the measurement of resting heart rate (RHR), resting systolic blood pressure (RSBP), and resting diastolic blood pressure (RDBP), respectively. Research questions raised were answered using mean while the hypotheses were tested using the normalised gain analysis <g>. The results indicate that there is a significant reduction in the RHR (<g>=0.14), RSBP (<g>=0.08), and RDBP (<g>=0.12). It is concluded that aerobic dance performed 30–45 min, 3 days · week –1 for 2 weeks with music of high tempo of 132-140bpm metronome beat significantly improves physiological functions of students, although to a low normalised gain. Based on the results obtained, it is recommended that ADP should be incorporated into the secondary education curriculum. Also, individuals should take part in aerobic dance 4 to 5 days a week in order to enhance the potency and effectiveness of the aerobic dancing programme in eliminating cardiovascular risk factors.