Abstract

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The study was conducted to assess the effect of step aerobics on skeletal muscle mass of obese female nurses in Specialist Hospital, Bauchi, Bauchi State. To achieve this purpose, hypothesis was postulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. A pretest and posttest experimental design was used for the study. The population of the study comprised of sixty-two (62) female nurses in Specialist Hospital Bauchi. A sample size of 20 obese female nurses were drawn from the population using purposive sampling technique. The participants were exposed to 12 weeks' step aerobics, on 3 alternate days per week, the training programme lasted 30minutes for the 1th - 4 thweek, increased to 35 minutes 5 th - 8th and 40 minutes in last four weeks at 45% - 60% of HRmax. Omron (BF511) body composition monitor was used to assess the participants. The collected data was analyzed using student t-test. The result of this study revealed that step aerobics step aerobics had significant effect on resting metabolic rate (p = 0.000) of female nurses in Specialist Hospital Bauchi. On the basis of the result of this study, it was concluded that Step aerobics had positive impact on resting metabolic rate of obese female nurses in Specialist Hospital Bauchi, Bauchi State. Obese female nurses should be enlightened through public lectures by exercise and sport science specialist on the need to perform regular step aerobics to burn down excess body fat. Based on the finding of the study the researchers recommended that obase female nurse should be enlightened through public lecture by exercise and sport science specialist on the need to perform regular step aerobics to improve their resting metabolic rate.

Keywords: step aerobics, resting metabolic rate and obese female nurses