Effects of 12-month combined aerobic and resistance training on physical fitness, cardiometabolic health and quality of life in middle-aged adults with overweight/obesity at high risk of metabolic syndrome in Poland.

OBJECTIVE

Physical inactivity is a major modifiable driver of cardiometabolic disease and functional decline. Long-term, real-world evidence on structured exercise in at-risk working-age adults remains limited.

METHODS

In this 12-month prospective intervention, 192 overweight or obese, professionally active adults (mean age 46.2 ± 7.2 years; BMI 30.04 ± 2.78 kg/m2; 137 men, 55 women) completed a supervised aerobic-resistance program delivered in outpatient and fitness settings between March 2023 and May 2024 in Poland. Outcomes included Cooper test performance, anthropometry and body composition, metabolic markers including insulin resistance HOMA-IR, HeartScore2 10-year cardiovascular mortality risk, health-related quality of life HRQoL, and quality-adjusted life years QALYs.

RESULTS

Cooper distance increased by ∼33% (p < 0.01). BMI and body weight decreased modestly, while central adiposity improved more markedly (Body Roundness Index -7.3%; visceral fat rating reduced). HOMA-IR fell by ∼18%, triglycerides and uric acid decreased, HDL-cholesterol increased, and blood pressure declined by ∼3%. HeartScore2 decreased from 4.14% to 3.59% (-13.3%; p < 0.01). HRQoL utility improved from 0.66 to 0.76, corresponding to an estimated 1.04 QALY gain.

CONCLUSIONS

A 12-month structured physical activity improved cardiometabolic risk factors and QALYs, supporting its role in primary prevention and health-risk reduction for high-risk working-age adults.