title: Morphological and health-related changes associated with a 12-week self-guided exercise programme in overweight adults: a pilot study.
abstract: Over 12 weeks, supervised physical activity (PA) interventions have demonstrated improvements in morphological and health parameters, whereas community walking programmes have not. The present study piloted a self-guided programme for promoting PA and reducing sedentary behaviour in overweight individuals and measured its effect on a range of health outcomes. Six male and 16 female sedentary adults aged 48.5 ± 5.5 years with body mass index (BMI) 33.4 ± 6.3 kg m(-2) were assessed for anthropometric variables, blood pressure, functional capacity, well-being and fatigue. After an exercise consultation, participants pursued their own activity and monitored PA points weekly. At baseline, mid-point and 12 weeks, eight participants wore activity monitors, and all participants undertook a 5-day food diary to monitor dietary intake. In 17 completers, mass, BMI, sit-to-stand, physical and general fatigue had improved by 6 weeks. By 12 weeks, waist, sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD), diastolic blood pressure, well-being and most fatigue dimensions had also improved. Throughout the intervention, PA was stable, energy intake and lying time decreased and standing time increased; thus, changes in both energy intake and expenditure explain the health-related outcomes. Observed changes in function, fatigue and quality of life are consistent with visceral fat loss and can occur at levels of weight loss which may not be considered clinically significant.
authors.affiliation: a Centre for Obesity Research and Epidemiology , The Robert Gordon University , Aberdeen , UK.
authors.forename: Arthur D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rolland
authors.forename: Ania
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gryka
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Findlay
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Jacklyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Isobel M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Davidson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001823:Body Composition; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D050177:Overweight; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D055105:Waist Circumference; D015431:Weight Loss; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs