Effects of an Off-Site Walking Program on Energy Expenditure, Serum Lipids, and Glucose Metabolism in Middle-Aged Women
The present study aims to identify the effects of systematic walking on exercise energy expenditure (EEE) and blood profiles in middle-aged women. Fifty-two female nurse managers, aged 32 to 57 years (42.0 ± 6.2), were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG) and a control group (CG) for a 12-week study of the walking program. EEE was measured using a microelectronic device. Blood profiles were assessed before and after the walking program. The mean EEE (kcal/kg/d) in the IG and CG was 4.73 ± 1.02 and 3.88 ± 0.81 ( P = 0.01), indicating an increase of 1.17 ± 0.98 and 0.46 ± 0.68 from baseline ( P = 0.01), respectively. The mean change in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the IG and CG was 1.8 ± 8.3 mg/dL and −2.9 ± 7.0 mg/dL ( P = 0.051); that in insulin was −4.5 ± 7.5 μU/dL and −0.6 ± 4.3 μU/dL ( P = 0.046), respectively. These results show that systematic walking increases EEE and improves blood profiles.