Impact of a 12-Week Aerobic Exercise Intervention on Lipid Profile and Fasting Glucose in Obese Women: A Pre–Post Experimental Trial

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a 12-week moderate-intensity aerobic exercise intervention on blood lipid profiles and fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels in adult obese women. A single-group pre–post experimental trial was conducted among 40 sedentary obese women (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m², aged 30–38 years), selected through purposive sampling from a purposeful registry of office records/ data list which contains a total of 70 women and was utilized as a sampling frame. Participants engaged in supervised moderate-intensity aerobic exercise sessions (30 minutes, 3 times per week) for 12 weeks. Biochemical parameters including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and FBG were assessed at baseline and post-intervention using a calibrated biochemical analyzer at the International Clinical Laboratory. Statistical analysis was performed using paired-sample comparisons in SPSS Version 20. Following the 12-week intervention, significant improvements were observed in TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, and FBG (p < 0.05). However, changes in TG levels were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The findings suggest meaningful cardio metabolic benefits associated with moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, particularly in lipid regulation and glycemic control. A structured 12-week program of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise effectively improves total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, and fasting blood glucose in obese adult women. While TG levels showed no significant change, the intervention demonstrates potential as a non-pharmacological strategy to mitigate cardio metabolic risk in this population.