Effectiveness of a home-based exercise program on anthropometric and metabolic changes among school cooks

The scope of this study was to evaluate the anthropometric and metabolic changes after low intensity home-based exercise. In the school year of 2007, 95 school cooks in the city of Niteroi (State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: home-based exercise (n = 47) or control group (n = 48). The home-based exercise program was performed three times a week, during 40 minutes at moderate intensity. Anthropometric variables were collected at the baseline and after 4 and 8 months, whereas biochemical and individual food intake were measured at the baseline and after 8 months. Energy expenditure was evaluated only at the baseline. The home-based exercise group exhibited a greater weight loss (-0.9 vs. -0.2; p = 0.05) in comparison with controls during the follow-up and the same pattern was found for BMI (-0.1 vs. +0.1; p = 0.07), although without statistical significance. Exercise showed no effects on waist circumference, lipid profile and glucose. In conclusion, greater weight loss was observed in the group that performed low intensity home-based exercise and this strategy can assist in body weight control even without alterations in terms of lipids and glucose.