Effects of Interval Walking on Physical Fitness in Middle-Aged Individuals

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of a 3-month interval walking program on peak aerobic capacity and cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged sedentary individuals. Participants were divided into 2 groups: a nontraining control group (n = 17) and an interval walking training group (n = 29). Participants in the interval walking training group were instructed to perform 5 or more sets of 3-min low-intensity walking interspersed by 3-min of moderate to high-intensity walking (>70% of peak aerobic capacity) on 4 or more days/week. Measurements of peak aerobic capacity, blood pressure, blood lipids, and glucose concentration were performed before and after training. Twenty-six individuals completed the interval walking program averaging 4 days/week for 34 min, of which 16 min were moderate to high-intensity walking, with a total energy expenditure of 776 kcal/week. Three months of interval walking increased peak aerobic capacity (from 20.4 ± 3.0 to 26.0 ± 5.2 mL/kg/min; P