The Effect of Physical Activity Applied to Housewives on their Well-Being and Happiness Levels

Physical activity is reported to be associated with increased happiness; some studies suggest that exercising as little as 10 minutes a week or exercising one day a week can increase happiness levels [1]. Regular physical activity is linked to higher levels of subjective well-being, including happiness, life satisfaction, and self-esteem; even short-term participation in exercise (4 weeks) can contribute to increased well-being [2]. Physical activity has been reported to be positively associated with general well-being, lower levels of anxiety and depression, and positive mood, especially for women and those over 40 years of age [3]. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyes show that physical activity is associated with emotional health among older women, and that those who maintain or adopt physical activity have better outcomes (Lee and Russell, 2003). Long-term quality of life in older adults, psychological variables such as self-efficacy and physical self-esteem, and the positive affect that mediates this relationship can be increased by physical activity [4]. Prolonged leisure-time physical activity may be associated with a reduced likelihood of unhappiness, while changes in activity levels may affect mood state [5].

Zumba, a Latin-themed aerobic dance, has gained popularity around the world and is being studied for its potential benefits to both physiological and psychological health. There are some studies showing that Zumba exercises significantly improve cardiovascular health, reduce body fat, and reduce inflammatory biomarkers such as interleukin-6 and white blood cell count, and that they may contribute to overall well-being [6,7]. Additionally, other studies have reported that participants in Zumba programs experience major improvements in mood, with a decrease in fatigue and an increase in vitality, and increases in health-related quality of life, including physical functionality, general health, energy levels and emotional well-being [6-9]. In their study, Lahiani et al. [10] stated that a 12-week Zumba training program could effectively improve postural balance, lower extremity strength, mood and quality of life in postmenopausal women. This also shows that it can benefit housewives.

Pilates is a popular exercise known for its effectiveness in improving rehabilitation, conditioning, flexibility, strength, posture, balance and body awareness, and where positive results have been observed in various populations [11-14]. In one study, it was reported that it improves sleep quality, reduces anxiety, depression and fatigue, and provides significant improvements in sleep duration and disorders in postmenopausal women [15]. Norouzi and Makvandi [16] stated in their study that Pilates exercises increase endurance and reduce psychological fatigue. Cruz-Ferreira et al. [17] reported improvements in adult women’s life satisfaction, physical self-perception, and health status after six months of Pilates-based mat exercises. Contrary to these studies, there are studies stating that Pilates exercises do not significantly change moods such as stress, depression, anger, vitality, fatigue, confusion, relaxation and happiness in non-athlete women [18-20].

For all these reasons, physical activity is a widely recognized factor that contributes to overall well-being and happiness. However, no study has been found investigating the effects of exercises such as Zumba, Pilates and step aerobics on the well-being and happiness levels of housewives. This synthesis (Zumba, Pilates and step aerobics) can be effective in improving the mental health of individuals, especially housewives, with physical activity. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of Zumba, Pilates and step aerobic exercises applied to housewives for 12 weeks on their well-being and happiness levels.

A. Participants

Within the scope of Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality Mother City Project, 35 women (age: 42.91±7.269years) who started doing exercises for the first time participated voluntarily in this study.

B. Data Collection

A personal information form, in which demographic information was sought, was applied to all participants. Additionally, the PERMA Scale, whose validity and reliability study was conducted by Demirci et al. , and the Happiness Scale developed by Demirci and Ekşi , were applied to determine the participants’ well-being and happiness levels before and after physical activity programs (PAP).

C. Personal Information Form

The personal information form was created by the researcher. In this information form, according to the purpose of the research, questions were asked about the participants’ age, height, body weight, marital status, whether they had a chronic disease, educational status, profession, economic status, whether they participated in sports / recreational activities (walking, swimming) in their spare time, and how long they had been participating

D. Physical Activity Programs

The participants performed Pilates, Zumba and step aerobic exercises for one hour, three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Physical activity programs consisting of an 8-kilometer walking program were implemented on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays for 12 weeks.

The Pilates session was scheduled for 60 minutes, with warm-up (5 minutes), Pilates (40 minutes), balance exercise (10 minutes) and cool-down (5 minutes) every Monday.

The Zumba session was scheduled for 60 minutes, with warm-up (5 minutes), Zumba (50 minutes), and cool-down (5 minutes) every Wednesday.

The step aerobics session was scheduledfor 60 minutes, with warm-up (5 minutes), step aerobics (35 minutes), balance exercise (15 minutes) and cool-down (5 minutes) every Friday.

The 8-km walking exercises were applied outdoors (beach, park, etc.) every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Details of the training programs are presented in the tables below (Table 1, Table 2).

E. Statistical Analysis

The data were analyzed using the SPSS v. 25 software package. Descriptive statistics values (mean, std deviation, etc.) were calculated. The suitability of the data for normal distribution was determined by the statistical tests method. The paired samples t-test was used to compare the pretest-posttest data for variables that conform to normal distribution. Also, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for variables that do not conform to normal distribution. Data were analyzed with a significance level of 0.05.

The minimum, maximum, mean and standard deviation values of the descriptive data of the participants are presented in Table 3.

The results of the comparison of pretest-posttest data of normally distributed parameters are presented in Table 4.

The results of the comparison of pretest-posttest data of parameters that do not show normal distribution are presented in Table 5.

Looking at the literature, it can be seen that physical activity positively affects people’s psychology, and accordingly, parameters such as feeling good and being healthy [23-25]. In this context, in our study, the effect of regular physical activity programs (PAP) on the general well-being and happiness levels of women who started doing sports for the first time within the scope ofKocaeli Metropolitan Municipality’s Mother City Project was investigated. The results of our study also support the literature, and a statistically significant increase was found in the total score of the Well-Being Scale and the sub-dimensions of Positive Emotions, Positive Relationships, Happiness, Engagement, Meaning, Accomplishment and Health after physical activity for the women participating in the study (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was detected in the other sub-dimensions (Negative Emotions and Loneliness) (p>0.05). The fact that there was a statistically significant increase in the total score of the Well-Being Scale and the sub-dimensions of Positive Emotions, Positive Relationships, Happiness, Engagement, Meaning, Accomplishment and Health after the PAP in the results of our study may be due to the fact that the group participating in our study consisted of housewives, who are a special group,as housewives’ lack of socialization environments or engagement with limited topics and people may have caused differences in these dimensions after the PAP. In a study similar to this study, it was stated that while physical activity had a positive effect, especially on positive emotions, it had a weaker relationship with cognitive well-being and was not associated with negative emotions [24].

In another study, the dose-response relationships of different physical activity areas (leisure, housework, work and transportation) with mental well-being were examined and it was determined that especially intense physical activity had strong effects on mental well-being [25]. In a study on European adults, Marques et al. [26] reported that physical activity levels showed a positive relationship with self-rated well-being in six dimensions, and physical activity frequency showed a linear relationship with six dimensions of well-being. Apart from these, it has been determined that different areas of physical activity (leisure, work, housework, transportation) are associated with health indicators such as feeling healthy and obesity [23]. One of the findings of our study was that there was a statistically significant increase in Happiness Scale scores after physical activity (p<0.05). This shows that regular physical activity programs positively affect the general well-being and happiness levels of housewives.

Regular physical activity improves physical and psychological well-being, including better mood and reduced stress levels in women [27]. Li et al. [28] stated that higher frequency of exercise participation is positively associated with happiness and that physical exercise improves mental and general health conditions. Similar to this situation, in another study, regular recreational activities applied for eight weeks led to a 21.96% decrease in perceived stress levels and an 18.01% increase in happiness levels in sedentary women [29]. Similarly, Iwon et al. [2] reported that even 4 weeks of regular physical activity led to higher levels of happiness, life satisfaction and self-esteem. Another study stated that physical activity and group discussion could increase happiness levels in postmenopausal women [30].

As a result, it can be said that regular physical activity programs applied for 12 weeks positively affect the general well-being and happiness levels of housewives. Based on this study, we can say that physical activity has positive effects not only on physical health, but also on mental health and well-being. In this context, various strategies can be developed to encourage and provide access to physical activity in society. It is important to provide programs and support for specific groups, especially housewives. It is thought that such programs can help improve the physical and mental health of individuals and increase the general well-being of society.

The authors declare no conflict of interests. All authors read and approved final version of the paper.

All authors contributed equally in this paper.

1. Zhang, Z., & Chen, W. (2018). A Systematic Review of the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Happiness. Journal of Happiness Studies, 20, 1305 - 1322.
2. Iwon, K., Skibinska, J., Jasielska, D., & Kalwarczyk, S. (2021). Elevating Subjective Well-Being Through Physical Exercises: An Intervention Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12.
3. Stephens, T. (1988). Physical activity and mental health in the United States and Canada: evidence from four population surveys. Preventive Medicine, 17(1), 35-47.
4. Elavsky, S., McAuley, E., Motl, R., Konopack, J., Marquez, D., Hu, L., Jerome, G., & Diener, E. (2005). Physical activity enhances long-term quality of life in older adults: Efficacy, esteem, and affective influences. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 30, 138-145.
5. Wang, F., Orpana, H., Morrison, H., Groh, M., Dai, S., & Luo, W. (2012). Long-term association between leisure-time physical activity and changes in happiness: analysis of the Prospective National Population Health Survey. American Journal of Epidemiology, 176, 12.
6. Domene, P., Moir, H., Pummell, E., & Easton, C. (2015). The Health-Enhancing Efficacy of Zumba Fitness: An 8 Wk Randomized Controlled Study. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 47(5S), 332.
7. Domene, P., Moir, H., Pummell, E., Knox, A., & Easton, C. (2016). The health-enhancing efficacy of Zumba® fitness: An 8-week randomised controlled study. Journal of Sports Sciences, 34, 1396-1404.
8. Duyan, M., Çelik, T., Karataş, Ö., Ilkım, M., Karataş, E. Ö., Yavuz, C., Doğar .,Günel İ.,Bayer R.,Akçınar S.,Özoğlu F., Karadağ H.,& Rüzgar, K. (2024). Mental Training and Anxiety: Examining the Moderating Role of Gender in Athletes. Revista de Psicología del Deporte (Journal of Sport Psychology), 33(1), 351-363.
9. Karadağ, H., Karataş, Ö., Doğar, Y., Ilkim, M., Yavuz, C., Çelik, T.,Karataş E.Ö.,Ünver R.,Uğurlu D.,Özoğlu F.,Taşçı M.,Rüzgar K. & Aydemir, A. (2024). Quality of Life Gains for Special Athletes in the Turkish Athletics Championship: A Study on Parent Perspectives (2023). Revista de Psicología del Deporte (Journal of Sport Psychology), 33(1), 412-425.
10. Lahiani, M., Waer, F., Châari, F., Rebai, H., & Sahli, S. (2023). Effect of 12-Week-Zumba Training on Postural Balance, Lower Limb Strength, Mood and Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women. Experimental Aging Research, 1-19 .
11. Byrnes, K., Wu, P., & Whillier, S. (2018). Is Pilates an effective rehabilitation tool? A systematic review. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 22(1), 192-202.
12. Karaaslan, H., Ilkım, M., & Özdemir, Z. (2021). Turkey’s Sports Success Assessment ın The World Para Taekwondo Championships. Pakıstan Journal Of Medıcal & Health Scıences, 15(11), 3185-3189.
13. Latey, P. (2001). The Pilates method: history and philosophy. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 5, 275-282.
14. Wells, C., Kolt, G., & Bialocerkowski, A. (2012). Defining Pilates exercise: a systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 20(4), 253-62.
15. Aibar-Almazán, A., Hita-Contreras, F., Cruz-Díaz, D., Torre-Cruz, M., Jiménez-García, J., & Martínez-Amat, A. (2019). Effects of Pilates training on sleep quality, anxiety, depression and fatigue in postmenopausal women: A randomized controlled trial. Maturitas, 124, 62-67.
16. Norouzi, L., & Makvandi, B. (2016). The Effectiveness of Pilates in Resiliency and Psych-asthenia of the Housewives. Asian Social Science, 12(4), 195-195.
17. Cruz-Ferreira, A., Fernandes, J., Gomes, D., Bernardo, L., Kirkcaldy, B., Barbosa, T., & Silva, A. (2011). Effects of Pilates-Based Exercise on Life Satisfaction, Physical Self-Concept and Health Status in Adult Women. Women & Health, 51, 240-255.
18. Caldwell, K., Harrison, M., Adams, M., & Triplett, N. (2009). Effect of Pilates and taiji quan training on self-efficacy, sleep quality, mood, and physical performance of college students. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 13(2), 155-63.
19. Lashgari, S., Sanatkaran, A., & Rafiee, S. (2018). The Effect of Pilates and TRX Exercises on Non-athletic Women’s Mood. Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences, E. Medical Entomology & Parasitology.
20. Özdenk, S., & İmamoğlu, M. (2019). The Effects of Pilates, Step and Zumba Exercises on Self-esteem, Happiness and Communication Skill Levels. Asian Journal of Education and Training, 5(2), 369–373.
21. Demirci, İ., Ekşi, H., Dinçer, D. ve Kardaş, S. (2017). Beş boyutlu iyi oluş modeli: PERMA Ölçeği’nin Türkçe formunun geçerlik ve güvenirliği. The Journal of Happiness & Well-Being, 5(1), 60-77.
22. Demirci, İ. & Ekşi. H. (2018). Keep calm and be happy: A mixed method study from character strengths to well-being. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice 18,(29) 303–354.
23. Abu-Omar, K., & Rütten, A. (2008). Relation of leisure time, occupational, domestic, and commuting physical activity to health indicators in Europe. Preventive Medicine, 47(3), 319-23 .
24. Buecker, S., Simacek, T., Ingwersen, B., Terwiel, S., & Simonsmeier, B. (2020). Physical activity and subjective well-being in healthy individuals: a meta-analytic review. Health Psychology Review, 15, 574-592.
25. Cerin, E., Leslie, E., Sugiyama, T., & Owen, N. (2009). Associations of multiple physical activity domains with mental well-being. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 2, 55-64.
26. Marques, A., Peralta, M., Martins, J., Catunda, R., Matos, M., & Nunes, L. (2016). Associations between physical activity and self-rated wellbeing in European adults: A population-based, cross-sectional study. Preventive Medicine, 91, 18-23 .
27. Mavrovouniotis, A., Argiriadou, E., Mavrovouniotis, F., Mavrovounioti, C., & Deligiannis, A. (2016). Greek Dances, Aerobic Dance and Women’s Psychological Health State. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 117, 720-726.
28. Li, C., Ning, G., & Xia, Y. (2023). Does exercise participation promote happiness?: Mediations and heterogeneities. Frontiers in Public Health, 11.
29. Ayhan, C., & Yalçinkaya, N. (2023). The Effect of Recreational Step Aerobic Exercises on Perceived Stress and Happiness in Women. Akdeniz Spor Bilimleri Dergisi.
30. Khodadadi, A., Jalali, A., Javanmardy, S., Bahremand, M., Salari, N., Moradi, K., & Khalili, M. (2023). The impact of physical activity and group discussion on happiness in postmenopausal women: A randomized trial. Health Care for Women International, 1-19 .