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Effect of a 6-Month Brisk Walking Program on Walking Endurance in Sedentary and Physically Deconditioned Women Aged
H Blain1, A Jaussent, M-C Picot
1H. Blain, Centre de Prévention et de Traitement des Maladies du Vieillissement Antonin Balmès, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Montpellier, Montpellier, France, h-blain@chu-montpellier.fr.
Background:
Walking endurance is a predictor of healthy ageing.
Objective:
To examine if a 6-month brisk walking program can increase walking endurance in sedentary and physically deconditioned older women.
Trial Design:
Randomized controlled trial.
Setting:
Women recruited from public meetings aimed at promoting physical activity in women aged 60 or older.
Subjects:
121 women aged 65.7 ± 4.3 years, with sedentary lifestyle (Physical Activity Questionnaire for the Elderly score < 9.4), and a 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) below normal value based on their gender, age, and body weight, and weight.
Methods:
Women were randomly assigned to a 150 min/week brisk walking program (two supervised sessions and one session on their own per week) for six months (exercisers) (n=61) or a control group with physical activity allowed freely (n=60).
Outcome:
The primary outcome was relative change in 6MWD.
Results:
54/61 exercisers and 55/60 control subjects completed the program and data analysis was possible for 51 exercisers and 47 controls. At baseline, 6MWD was on average 23.1% and 22.5% below age-matched norms in exercisers and controls, respectively. Attendance rate for supervised sessions was 92% in exercisers. The 6MWD increased more significantly in exercisers than in controls (mean increase of 41.5% vs 11.0 %; p<0.0001). Over the 6-month program, 38 exercisers (74.5%) vs 5 controls (10.6%) had a 6MWD over the age-matched norm (p<0.0001). Exercisers with the highest tertile of 6MWD improvement (>46%) were those with baseline lowest values of 6MWD (p=0.001) and highest values of body mass index (BMI) (p<0.01).
Conclusion:
Present results support recommendation that brisk walking programs should be encouraged to improve walking endurance in physically deconditioned women aged 60 or older, especially in those with high BMI.
