PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: This study aims to investigate the effects of a walking program on aerobic endurance and function in a sample of sedentary elderly people. DESIGN AND METHODS: For this study, 126 sedentary individuals were recruited: 63 individuals (mean age 74.1 +/- 6.0 years) for the control group and 63 (mean age 72.0 +/- 4.5 years) for the intervention group. The intervention consisted of walking training including balance exercises and lower limb strength activities twice a week for 4 months. We collected baseline and post-test measurements of aerobic endurance, lower limb strength, and mobility. We also measured aerobic endurance at increments of 4, 8, and 12 weeks between the baseline and the post-test. We used analyses of covariance with baseline value, gender, age, and body mass index scores as covariates (p < 0.05) and calculated the effect size for the effects of the intervention. The changeover time of aerobic endurance was also analyzed with the repeated analysis of variance (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The intervention group showed steady and significant improvements with respect to the 6-min walk (aerobic endurance) from 447.89 m (SD 73.87) to 561.51 m (SD 83.96), as well as the 30-s chair stand (lower limb strength) from 10 (SD 3) to 13 (SD 3) number of times and the Timed Up and Go Test (mobility) from 8.53 s (SD 2.86) to 7.13 s (SD 1.76) at the post-test, whereas the control group showed significant decrease in all measurements. IMPLICATION: These results underline that an ecological walking training program can be used to improve physical functioning among sedentary elderly people.
Copyright the Gerontological Society of America. Reproduced by permission of the publisher.

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