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 effectiveness of a pram-walking exercise programme in reducing depressive symptomatology for postnatal women.
The purpose of the research project was to examine the effects of exercise , social support and depression on postnatal women who reported experiencing postnatal depression . A 12-week r and omized , controlled trial was conducted investigating the effects of an exercise intervention group ( a pram-walking programme for mothers and their babies ) compared to a social support group ( non-structured sessions , similar to a playgroup ) .  Participants in both groups had given birth in the past 12 months . Pretest data of physical fitness and structured question naires were compared to post-test effects . The primary outcomes were to reduce the depressive symptomatology and improve fitness levels of participants in the pram-walking group . Secondary outcomes were to improve the social support levels of the participants in both groups and explore women 's views about the programmes . It was hypothesized that the pram-walking group participants would improve their feelings of depression and fitness levels compared to the social support group , but that both groups would improve their perceived levels of social support . The results showed that mothers in the pram-walking intervention group improved their fitness levels and reduced their level of depressive symptomatology significantly more than the social support group . There were no significant changes to social support levels for both groups . Therefore , a direct association between improvement in fitness was related to improvement in depression for the pram-walking group . However , it is also suggested that other factors in combination with improvements in fitness influenced improvements in depression levels . It is recommended that pram-walking programmes for mothers with postnatal depression be implemented as pilot research into existing available services
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 .