Parvaneh Yoosef Ghanbari - Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Shoushtar Branch, Islamic Azad University,shoushtar, Iran.
Masoud Nikbakht - Department of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, Iran.

The present research has been carried out to examine the effect of 8 weeks of isometric exercises on obese middle-aged women' body composition in Dezful city using an applied quasi-experimental method. Therefore, 16 non-athlete and obese women aged 40-60, after being matched for weight and height, were placed randomly into two experimental and control groups of 8 people. Body mass index, body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ration of the subjects were measured. After 8 weeks of exercise 3 sessions a week, a post-test was administered to the groups. In order to determine normal distribution of data, and the significance of difference in means, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and dependent and independent t-test at a probability level of α=0.05 were used respectively. The findings showed that 8 weeks of isometric exercises has significantly reduced body mass index, body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ration of the subjects. Isometric exercises seem to be an appropriate solution for physical energy management, weight control and body composition improvement.

isometric exercises, body composition, physical energy management