THE EVALUATION OF BODY COMPOSITION IN RELATION TO PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN 56–73 YEAR OLD WOMEN: A PILOT STUDY

Lack of physical activity is associated with an increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Preventing excessive weight gain is a public health priority. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between body composition and the level of physical activity in 56–73 year old women. We divided the sample into individual subgroups according to recommendations concerning moderate physical activity and the number of steps made on average per day. Body composition was measured by means of multifre-quency bioelectrical impedance analysis (InBody 720) and the accelerometer ActiGraph GT1M was used to monitor physical activity. The BMI mean values were in the zone of overweight in all the measured subgroups with the exception of the women who met the recommendation relating to average steps made per day, where the BMI mean value (24.93 kg/m2) was within the zone of normal range. The positive eff ect of physical activity was shown especially in the changes of body fat amount. The absolute and relative body fat proportion and the BFMI was higher (p <.05; p <.01) in the inactive women than in the active ones and its proportion decreased in correlation with the intensity of physical activity (