The basic fitness program was offered in a separate and carefully supervised exercise room. Classes were held almost every hour throughout the day, and typically had six participants with two instructors. All class members were assessed for bodyweight, body composition, fat weight, lean (muscle) weight, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure before and after the two-month training period.
Bodyweight and Body Composition Changes
The 1,132 basic fitness program participants included 238 young adults (21 to 40 years), 552 middle-aged adults (41 to 60 years), and 341 senior adults (61 to 80 years). As shown in Table 1, all three age groups started the program with similar bodyweights (172.7 lbs. to 179.9 lbs.) and percent fat readings (25.6% to 27.2%).