Body composition and health behaviors among older women attending regular fitness classes: a pilot study

Background: The average lifespan is increasing worldwide, although the healthspan and quality of life is not.Many older adults either have a chronic disease, excessive body mass, or do not follow the healthy lifestylerecommendations as for nutrition and physical activity.Aim of the study: This study aimed to assess the relationship between body composition among seniorwomen and health behaviors in the five domains of nutrition, body care, rest, safety and physical activity.Material and methods: The study group consisted of 36 women attending fitness classes. The PositiveHealth Behavior Questionnaire was used as the qualitative measurement and participant height, weight andbody composition were measured. Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR ), Basal Metabolic Rate(BMR) were calculated.Results: Significant correlations (p≤0.05) were found between attending organized physical activities andhigher muscle mass and higher BMR. Moreover, (a) sleeping at least six to seven hours at night correlatedwith a lower BMI and lower body fat mass; (b) spending at least 20–30 minutes a day resting correlated withlower visceral fat; (c) devoting at least 30 minutes daily to moderate or heavy physical exertion correlatedwith lower body fat mass, percent of body fat and visceral adiposity.Conclusions: The study shows strong relationships between physical activity, dietary patterns, rest, lengthof sleep, BMI, adiposity and muscle mass of physically active senior women. The results suggest it is necessaryto actively promote and support older women in implementing healthy behaviors consistently in their life.