Research Laboratory in Science and Technology of Physical and Sports Activities, Youth and Leisure at the National Higher Institute of Popular Education and Sport at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal
Senegalese women have become sedentary. A sedentary lifestyle is undoubtedly one of the main causes of diabetes and hypertension. Dance, a physical activity based on bodily expression, can be a source of motivation for Senegalese women to engage in regular physical activity. To study the effects of a 2-month ‘bougarabou’ dance program involving two 2- hour sessions per week on the heart rate and resting blood pressure of 16 sedentary Senegalese women aged between 22 and 28 is our objective.The heart rate and resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure of 16 sedentary women aged 22 to 28 from the town of Ziguinchor were measured before and after a two (2) month «bougarabou dance» program, with two 2-hour sessions per week. Resting heart rate (before 78.81 beats/min ± 9.31 vs after 64.38 ± 6.05 beats/min), systolic blood pressure (before 13.13 cmHg ± 0.96 vs after 11.44 cmHg ± 1.09) and diastolic blood pressure (before 7.75 cmHg ± 0.93 vs after 6.68 cmHg ± 1.01) fell significantly (P < 0.05) at the end of the «bougarabou» dance program.This study shows that an 8-week «bougarabou» dance program, consisting of two 2-hour sessions, has a significant effect on the heart rate and blood pressure of our sample of sedentary Senegalese women aged between 22 and 28.