The impact of systematic aerobics classes on indicators of the physical and functional states of people of different ages

The aim of the study – a comprehensive investigation of the impact of regular aerobics classes on the physical and functional state of people in different age categories, taking into account age-specific adaptation mechanisms, the features of load structuring, and the nature of physiological responses. Assessment was carried out on the basis of indicators of heart rate, arterial blood pressure, vital capacity of the lungs, results of the 6-minute walk test, the Training Impulse index, as well as the World Health Organisation Quality of Life – Brief Version questionnaire, using Student’s t test, the Mann-Whitney U test, correlation analysis, and 95% confidence intervals. The results showed a statistically significant improvement in functional indicators in all groups: resting heart rate decreased from -4.2 beats/min in the young group to -1.4 beats/min in the older group; the 6-minute test distance increased by 60, 55, and 30 metres, respectively (p = 0.033). The mean Training Impulse values were 102, 88, and 74 conventional units, which indicated different training sensitivity. Correlation analysis confirmed the leading role of the training impulse in the formation of adaptive changes (r = 0.62 in the young group; p < 0.01). According to the World Health Organisation Quality of Life – Brief Version, the greatest improvement was observed in the physical and psychological domains in the young and middle-aged groups, whereas in older participants the effects were moderate but clinically meaningful (Δ of the physical domain = +4.6). The obtained results indicate the effectiveness of structured aerobics programmes for different age categories and emphasise the need to personalise training intensity, especially in older people. The study data may be used to optimise health-improvement programmes, develop safe aquaaerobics formats, and improve the population’s quality of life