Providing sedentary adults with choices for meeting their walking goals

Background. This study was designed to test different ways of meeting the n ew ACSM/CDC recommendations for physical activity stating that all American s at least 2 years of age should obtain 30 minutes of moderate intensity ac tivity on most days of the week. Methods. Thirty-two sedentary 18- to 55-year-old adults were randomly assig ned to three groups of brisk walking/6 days per week: 30 continuous minutes , three 10-minute bouts, and 30 minutes in any combination of bouts as long as each bout was at least 5 minutes. Aerobic fitness, blood pressure, body composition, and physical activity were assessed at baseline, at end of pr ogram (16 weeks), and at follow-up (32 weeks). Results, All groups significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) improved t heir aerobic fitness and systolic blood pressure and increased their physic al activity at the end of the program. At follow-up all groups maintained t hese changes, while additionally reducing their percentage body fat and dia stolic blood pressure. Conclusion. These findings demonstrate that a walking prescription of 30 mi nutes per day on most days of the week with the choice to walk in as little as 5 minute bouts can improve cardiovascular health and body composition, as well as help sedentary people maintain those improvements over time. Thi s is supported by all participants indicating that "making walking part of my lifestyle" was the most important factor in maintaining their walking ha bits. (C) 1999 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.