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 .
The effects of a walking program on body composition and serum lipids and lipoproteins in overweight women.
Few prospect i ve studies have been conducted with women to examine the effects of walking on body composition and serum lipid profiles .  Overweight women were r and omly assigned to either an exercise EX  ( no. 18 ) or a nonexercise NEX ( no. 18 ) group . The EX group participated in five 45 min sessions/week of brisk walking at 62 + /- 2 % VO2max for 15 weeks . Statistical analysis ( 2 x 3 repeated measures ANOVA ) revealed that the pattern of change in total body weight [ F(2.68 ) = 6.65 , p = 0.002 ] but not body fat percentage , was significantly different between EX and NEX groups ; NEX subjects had a 1.6 + /- 0.5 kg gain in contrast to no change in EX subjects . The pattern of change in serum triglycerides , total cholesterol , and LDL-C was not significantly different between groups . The interaction statistic for HDL-C , however , was significant [ Pillais Trace ( 2.33 ) = 3.73 , p = 0.035 ] with HDL-C tending to rise in the NEX group in contrast to a small decrease in the EX group . Change in kilocalorie intake was positively correlated with change in HDL-C , total cholesterol , and body weight . Change in body weight also correlated positively with change in HDL-C. Our findings suggest that moderate exercise training alone may not be a sufficient stimulus to affect body composition and serum lipid profiles favorably in overweight women
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 .