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Effectiveness of Arm Swing Exercise on Comprehensive Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Phatcharaphon Whaikid1, Noppawan Piaseu1
1Ramathibodi School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 27, 2025
Summary
Arm swing exercise (ASE) significantly improves body composition, glycemic control, and cardiovascular health. This accessible physical activity offers a low-cost strategy for public health to prevent chronic diseases.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Public Health
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Arm swing exercise (ASE) is an accessible physical activity aligned with WHO recommendations.
- ASE requires no special equipment or supervision, but systematic evidence on its benefits is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the effects of ASE on body composition, glycemic control, cardiovascular health, and musculoskeletal outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Thai-Journal Citation Index Center up to October 2024.
- Included randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies, assessed quality using JBI tool.
- Performed meta-analyses using Stata, presenting mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).
Main Results:
- Thirteen studies (8 RCTs, 5 quasi-experimental) with 5-24 week interventions were analyzed.
- ASE significantly reduced waist circumference, HbA1c, fasting blood glucose, and diastolic blood pressure.
- ASE significantly increased HDL-C levels and showed a non-significant trend for reducing systolic blood pressure.
Conclusions:
- ASE is an effective intervention for improving body composition, glycemic control, and cardiovascular health.
- ASE's simplicity, low cost, and broad applicability make it a practical public health strategy.
- This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to demonstrate the comprehensive health benefits of ASE.
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