Effects of a moderate-intensity walking program on blood pressure, body composition and functional fitness in older women: results of a pilot study

Objective: The positive impact of regular physical activity among older adults is well recognized. However, few studies have assessed the effectiveness of walking exercise programs in older women with regard to their impact on physical fitness, body composition and resting blood pressure. Therefore, the aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effects of a moderate- intensity walking program on the physical fitness body composition and resting blood pressure of older women. Design: Twenty-two older women (71.4±5.9 years; BMI= 27.7±2.6) not in the habit of regularly exercising volunteered to participate in this study. Subjects were evaluated at three distinct points in time: at baseline, after four months with no exercise, and after participating in a four month walking program. Habitual physical activity, blood pressure, heart rate, body composition (DXA) and physical fitness (Senior Fitness Test) were assessed each time. Training consisted of a 10 minute warm up, 30 minutes of walking at an intensity corresponding to 50-70% HRReserve and ending with a 10 minute cool-down. Results: After walking, data demonstrated: i) a mean reduction of 12mmHg (p = 0.001) in the women’s systolic blood pressure; ii) improvements of 5 repetitions (p < 0.001) on the muscular endurance of the lower limbs; iii) however, there were no significant alterations after the walking program on body composition variables. Conclusions: These findings suggest that a four month’s walking program with progressive duration and moderate intensity is able to improve the blood pressure of older women and the muscular endurance of the lower limbs.