title: Is the recommendation to walk sufficient to achieve the levels of physical activity recommended to obtain cardiovascular benefits?
abstract: The aim of the present study was to assess whether subjects with cardiovascular risk factors who are referred to participate, without supervision, in walking programs, or do so voluntarily, achieve the levels of daily physical activity recommended to obtai cardiovascular benefits. To this end, an observational descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample was composed of 23 subjects (age: 43.9 +/- 14.5 years) with at least one modifiable cardiovascular risk factor, who took part in a walking program following referral from their general practitioner or by self-referral. The intensity and duration of physical activity were assessed by accelerometry. The subjects wore an accelerometer on a belt in the region of the right anterior iliac crest. The accelerometer data are reported as minutes spent in physical activity of light, moderate, vigorous and very vigorous intensity. All subjects in our sample walked at the levels of moderate-intensity physical activity recommended to obtain cardiovascular benefits, performing 40.01 +/- 6.2 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and only 5.7 +/- 3.0 minutes of light-intensity physical activity in the walking session, which lasted a mean of 45.8 +/- 7.0 minutes. The results of the present study indicate that the simple referral of subjects with cardiovascular risk factors to walk is sufficient to achieve the levels of moderate-intensity physical activity recommended to obtain cardiovascular benefits.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Politécnico de Saúde do Norte, Departamento de Fisioterapia, Gandra, PRD, Portugal.
authors.forename: João
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D012307:Risk Factors; D016138:Walking