Review: regular brisk walking improves cardiovascular risk factors in healthy sedentary adults
M H Murphy
Correspondence to: Dr M H Murphy, University of Ulster at Jordanstown, Northern Ireland, UK; mh.murphy@ulster.ac.uk
QUESTION
In healthy sedentary adults, does regular brisk walking improve cardiovascular risk factors?
METHODS
Data sources:
Medline and Web of Science (1971 to September 2004) and reference lists.
Study selection and assessment:
English-language, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with duration ⩾4 weeks that assessed the effects of walking as the only intervention on changes in cardiovascular risk factors in sedentary, but otherwise healthy, adults. 24 RCTs (n = 1128, mean age 52 y, 83% women) met the selection criteria. The mean length of the walking programmes was 35 weeks (range 8–104 wk). On average, walking was done 4.4 days/week for 38 minutes per session. The …
