Effects of Structured Aerobic Exercise on Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Flexibility in Male University Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60081/SSHA.4.1.2026.579-586Keywords:
- aerobic training,
- health-related physical fitness components,
- cardiorespiratory,
- flexibility
Abstract
Purpose: This study examined the effect of 12-week aerobic training program on selected health-related physical fitness variables, specifically cardiorespiratory endurance and flexibility, among male college students. Material and Methods: A total of 30 male students aged 20–25 years were randomly selected and assigned into two groups: an experimental group (EG, n = 15) and a control group (CG, n = 15). The experimental group participated in a structured aerobic training program three times per week for 12 weeks, with each session lasting 60 minutes at moderate intensity, including warm-up, main exercise, and cool-down phases. The control group continued their usual physical activities without intervention. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 20. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize pre- and post-test scores, while the Shapiro–Wilk test confirmed normal distribution of the data. A paired-samples t-test was employed to examine differences between pre- and post-test performances, with the level of significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: The findings revealed that aerobic training produced a statistically significant improvement in the experimental group’s cardiorespiratory endurance and flexibility. Cardiorespiratory endurance improved markedly from a pre-test mean of approximately 1993.53 meters to a post-test mean of 2800.00 meters, while flexibility also showed significant enhancement (p = .00). In contrast, the control group showed no statistically significant improvement in either cardiorespiratory endurance or flexibility. Conclusion: The research findings highlighted regular aerobic training has a substantial positive effect on improving health-related physical fitness among male college students. Therefore, aerobic exercise can be recommended as an effective strategy for enhancing students’ cardiovascular endurance and flexibility.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Yonas Mebrat, Tekalign Mekuria G Mariam, Tamirat Wolde Yebo, Zegeye G Yesus Gibo, Nejat Muhammed Seid
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
