Effectiveness of Zumba in Improving Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Anthropometric Measures Among Women With Low Physical Activity Levels: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity increases the risk of developing chronic illnesses. However, the effectiveness of Zumba among women who are physically inactive remains understudied. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Zumba in improving cardiorespiratory fitness and anthropometric measures (body mass index, body fat, and waist circumference) among women with low physical activity levels. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and ProQuest Education Collection were systematically searched until June 8, 2025. Eligibility criteria were as follows: (1) randomized controlled trials involving insufficiently active adult women (< 150 min moderate or < 75 min vigorous activity/week); (2) Zumba or its variations as the intervention; (3) no intervention or usual care as the comparator; and (4) reporting of cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass index, body fat percentage, or waist circumference. Quality appraisal for included studies was performed using the revised Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Meta-analyses were performed using the random-effects model where possible. RESULTS: Seven randomized controlled trials (eight reports) were included. Zumba significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness (MD = 3.63; 95% CI 2.00, 5.26; p < 0.01) and body fat percentage (MD = -5.11; 95% CI -8.77, -1.46; p < 0.01) compared to no intervention/usual care. No statistically significant differences were observed in body mass index between groups (MD = -0.97; 95% CI -2.49, 0.54; p = 0.21). Narrative synthesis of three reports found positive improvements in waist circumference after completion of Zumba interventions. CONCLUSION: Zumba effectively improves cardiorespiratory fitness and reduces body fat percentage among women with low physical activity levels. Further high-quality research is warranted to determine optimal intervention dosage, assess other Zumba modalities, and explore Zumba's implementation and sustainability.