Using Walking as a Tool for Fitness and its Influence on Obesity and Overweight Individuals

This study summarizes the use of walking (as a tool) and how it relates to influencing health, fitness, body composition, well-being and other psychological variables. It followed an intervention program that lasted 5 months using 1000 kcal of energy intensity in senior women, 1500 kcal in middle-aged men and 2000 kcal for children and composed of at least 85% walking, pointing to significant changes in fitness and body composition. Fitness, which was characterized by maximal oxygen uptake, was improved by 13% (in senior women and obese children) and 17% (middle age men). Similarly, the motor performance – maximal speed of walking on the treadmill was increased by about 11% in senior women and obese children and by about 15% in middle aged men. The percentage of body fat was decreased by 1.6% in senior women and by about 16.8 in men of middle age, and by about 14% in children. Together with these variables were significantly improved the predispositions for physical and workload evaluated by ECM/BCM coefficient. The lowest mean change was found in middle age men (4.8%) and the highest in senior women (10.8%). It may be concluded that walking in the range of 7000 to 10000 steps per day is able to remove the movement deficit in the contemporary population, which is due to present lifestyle and may be used in majority population for improvement of health predispositions and for an improved physical fitness state.