the effect of six-week aerobic training program on cardiovascular fitness, body composition and mental health among female students

background : the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of six-week aerobic training program including running and rope skipping on cardiovascular fitness, body mass index (bmi), and mental health among female students at the university of isfahan, iran. methods : in this interventional study we included 30 female students in academic year 2011-12. the participants were randomly assigned in experimental group (n=15, mean±sd for age=26.06±1.18, weight (kg)=57.43±5.67, height (cm)=160.06±4.16) and control group (n=15, mean±sd for age=26.33±1.30, weight=57.66±5.08, height=161.86±3.29). pre-test and post-test measurements include vo2 max with queen step test; bmi and general health questionnaire-28 as a measure of mental health were done. analysis of covariance (ancova) was used to test the effects of aerobic training as intervention ( p <0.05). results : there was statistically significance difference between experimental and control groups after adjustment for their own baseline values concerning cardiovascular fitness ( p =0.004), bmi ( p <0.001) and mental health indices ( p <0.001). conclusions : a six-week aerobic practice improves cardiovascular strength, mental health and bmi considerably and could be more encouraged at universities.