There is evidence that walking groups have wide-ranging health benefits .
The evidence was less clear for other outcomes such as waist circumference fasting glucose , SF-36 ( mental health ) and serum lipids such as high-density lipids .
There were no notable adverse side effects reported in any of the studies .
CONCLUSIONS Walking groups are effective and safe with good adherence and wide-ranging health benefits .
They could be a promising intervention as an adjunct to other healthcare or as a proactive health-promoting activity
OBJECTIVE To assess the health benefits of  outdoor walking groups .
Effects of a Walking Program on Attributional Style, Depression, and Self-Esteem in Women
Few controlled studies describe the psychological effects of a walking program on non clinical , premenopausal women . This experiment measured the effects of an 8–wk . walking program on female volunteers ( N = 27 ) age 29 to 50 years ( M = 37.4 ) r and omly assigned to a supervised walking group vs a nonwalking group . A repeated- measures , multivariate design was used to analyze blood pressure , resting heart rate , timed mile walk , and scores on self-esteem , depression , and attributional style . The walking group showed significant improvement in the timed mile walk , diastolic blood pressure , and rated self-esteem
There is evidence that walking groups have wide-ranging health benefits .
The evidence was less clear for other outcomes such as waist circumference fasting glucose , SF-36 ( mental health ) and serum lipids such as high-density lipids .
There were no notable adverse side effects reported in any of the studies .
CONCLUSIONS Walking groups are effective and safe with good adherence and wide-ranging health benefits .
They could be a promising intervention as an adjunct to other healthcare or as a proactive health-promoting activity
OBJECTIVE To assess the health benefits of  outdoor walking groups .