Daily Walks Have Significant Health Impact

A 30 minute walk, six days a week could be all that is needed to avoid metabolic syndrome. So say the findings of a recently published study conducted by Duke University Medical Center researchers. The new study called the STRRIDE study, an acronym for Studies of a Targeted Risk Reduction Intervention through Defined Exercise was funded by the National Institutes of Health.¹

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical conditions, characterized by having three of the following five symptoms: a large waistline, high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, low levels of HDL cholesterol, and high blood sugar. These symptoms combine to increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome is also known as syndrome X and insulin resistance. It is linked to a sedentary lifestyle and obesity and affects an estimated 25% of the US population.

This study tested the effects of varying amounts and intensity of exercise on the risk of developing metabolic syndrome. One hundred seventy-one  middle-aged, overweight men and women completed the study and were included in the analysis. The participants were randomly assigned to either a 6-month control group or 1 of 3 eight-month exercise training groups. In the end, all the exercise groups improved over their counterparts in the sedentary control groups, however those who exercised the most frequently did the best. Entering this study 41% of the individuals in the exercise group had metabolic syndrome, but by the end of the 8-week intervention only 27% still did.

It should be noted that none of the participants changed their diets. This study demonstrates that simple, daily, 30 minute walks can dramatically reduce an individual's risk of metabolic syndrome, and significantly improve their health.

1. Johnson, J. L., C. A. Slentz, et al. (2007). "Exercise Training Amount and Intensity Effects on Metabolic Syndrome (from Studies of a Targeted Risk Reduction Intervention through Defined Exercise)." Am J Cardiol 100(12): 1759-66.