Effects of a 10-Week Zumba Program on Anxiety and Depression in Adults

NCT ID: NCT07317908

Last Updated: 2026-01-09

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 40 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2025-02-03
• Study Completion Date: 2025-04-16

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial aimed to examine the effects of a 10-week Zumba exercise program on anxiety and depression levels in healthy adults. Participants aged 40 to 65 years were randomly assigned to either a Zumba intervention group or a control group that maintained their usual lifestyle. The intervention consisted of three supervised Zumba sessions per week, each lasting approximately 50 minutes. Anxiety and depression were assessed before and after the intervention using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The study sought to determine whether a structured, group-based aerobic exercise program could improve psychological well-being in a non-clinical adult population.

Detailed Description

This study was designed as a randomized controlled trial to investigate the impact of a structured Zumba exercise program on anxiety and depression in healthy adults. Participants were recruited from the community and randomly allocated to either a Zumba intervention group or a control group.

The intervention group participated in a 10-week Zumba program, consisting of three supervised sessions per week. Each session lasted approximately 50 minutes and was conducted at moderate intensity, monitored using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion scale. Sessions included a standardized warm-up, choreographed aerobic dance routines, and a cool-down period.

The control group was instructed to maintain their usual lifestyle and not to engage in any new structured exercise programs during the study period.

Anxiety and depression were assessed at baseline and after the intervention using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). All assessments were conducted under standardized conditions by trained researchers. The primary objective was to evaluate changes in anxiety and depression symptoms between groups following the intervention.

The study was conducted in accordance with ethical standards, and all participants provided written informed consent prior to participation.

Conditions

Anxiety; Depression; Psychological Well-being

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Zumba Group

Participants assigned to the experimental group formed the Zumba intervention group. This group followed a supervised Zumba-based exercise program over a period of 10 weeks. The intervention consisted of structured group sessions performed several times per week and led by a qualified instructor. Sessions were based on choreographed aerobic dance movements performed to music, providing moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity aimed at improving cardiovascular fitness and overall physical engagement.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Zumba-based Exercise Program

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Participants assigned to this intervention received a supervised Zumba-based exercise program lasting 10 consecutive weeks. The intervention consisted of group-based aerobic dance sessions conducted several times per week and led by a qualified instructor. Sessions included choreographed dance movements performed to music, designed to elicit moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and to promote cardiovascular fitness and overall physical engagement. The program followed a standardized structure across sessions and was implemented as the sole intervention during the study period.

Group Control

Participants in the control group did not participate in the exercise intervention and were instructed to maintain their usual lifestyle and physical activity habits throughout the study period.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Zumba-based Exercise Program

Participants assigned to this intervention received a supervised Zumba-based exercise program lasting 10 consecutive weeks. The intervention consisted of group-based aerobic dance sessions conducted several times per week and led by a qualified instructor. Sessions included choreographed dance movements performed to music, designed to elicit moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and to promote cardiovascular fitness and overall physical engagement. The program followed a standardized structure across sessions and was implemented as the sole intervention during the study period.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• adults aged between 40 and 65 years
• not having regularly practised Zumba or other dance disciplines during the previous 12 months
• medical authorisation or absence of pathologies to participate in supervised physical activity

Exclusion Criteria

• presence of orthopaedic, neurological, cardiorespiratory conditions or lack of standing stability that would prevent safe completion of the programme
• participation in any other structured exercise programme during the intervention period
• missing more than 10% of the total sessions (missing more than 2 sessions)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 40 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Manuel Jesús Rodríguez Chavarría

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Manuel Jesús Rodríguez Chavarría

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Osuna fitness

Osuna, Sevilla, Spain

Countries

Spain

Other Identifiers

ZU-AN-DE

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id