CORE IN MOTION: A ZUMBA-BASED APPROACH TO ABDOMINAL STRENGTH USING BELLY BAND

The study employed a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test to find out how belly bands combined with Zumba dance fitness improved the abdominal strength of women between the ages of 40 and over 60. The study included 25 purposively chosen participants from the Maharlikan Center in Kalibo, Aklan, Western Visayas, Philippines. Timed sit-ups and plank holds were used to evaluate abdominal endurance. Additionally, a Tanita body composition scale was used to record baseline body composition data, such as visceral fat content, body mass index (BMI), and body weight in grams. Throughout the program,these metrics were used as a benchmark for assessing changes. Over the course of six weeks, 45-minute Zumba classes were held every week as part of the intervention. Throughout the sessions, participants wore a belly band to support core muscle activation during activity, improve posture awareness, and gently compress the abdomen. Results revealed a noticeable improvement in participants abdominal endurance and postural alignment following the six-week program. These results indicate that the participants core strength became stronger and their BMI values became lower after the Zumba with Belly Band sessions,and both improvements are statistically significant. This means that both participants with and without medication experienced comparable levels of improvement in core strength after the Zumba with Belly Band sessions.