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 .
Changes in pain and insulin-like growth factor 1 in fibromyalgia during exercise: the involvement of cerebrospinal inflammatory factors and neuropeptides
Abstract Introduction Fibromyalgia ( FM ) is characterized by chronic pain . Impaired growth hormone responses and reduced serum insulin-like growth factor 1 ( IGF-1 ) are common in FM . The aim was to examine changes in serum IGF-1 , cerebrospinal fluid ( CSF ) , neuropeptides , and cytokines during aerobic exercise in FM patients . Methods In total , 49 patients ( median age , 52 years ) with FM were included in the study . They were r and omized to either the  moderate- to high-intensity Nordic Walking ( NW ) program  ( n = 26 ) or the  supervised low-intensity walking ( LIW ) program  ( n = 23 ) . Patients participated in blood tests before and after 15 weeks of aerobic exercise .  Changes in serum levels of free IGF-1 , pain rating on a 0- to 100-mm scale , pain threshold , and 6-minute walk test ( 6MWT ) were examined . CSF , neuropeptides , matrix metalloproteinase 3 ( MMP-3 ) , and inflammatory cytokines were determined . Nonparametric tests were used for group comparisons and correlation analyses . Results Serum free IGF-1 levels did not change during 15 weeks of exercise between the two groups , although the 6MWT significantly improved in the NW group ( p = 0.033 ) when compared with LIW . Pain did not significantly change in any of the groups , but tended to decrease ( p = 0.052 ) over time in the total group . A tendency toward a correlation was noted between baseline IGF-1 and a decrease of pain in response to exercise ( r = 0.278 ; p = 0.059 ) . When adjusted for age , this tendency disappeared . The change in serum free IGF-1 correlated positively with an alteration in CSF substance P ( SP ) levels ( rs= 0.495 ; p = 0.072 ) , neuropeptide Y ( NPY ) ( rs = 0.802 ; p = 0.001 ) , and pain threshold ( rs = 0.276 ; p = 0.058 ) . Differing CSF SP levels correlated positively to a change in pain threshold ( rs= 0.600 ; p = 0.023 ) , whereas the shift in CSF MMP-3 inversely correlated with an altered pain threshold ( rs= -0.569 ; p = 0.034 ) . Conclusions The baseline level of serum free IGF-1 did not change during high or low intensity of aerobic exercise . Changes in IGF-1 correlated positively with a variation in CSF SP , NPY , and pain threshold . These data indicate a beneficial role of IGF-1 during exercise in FM.Trial registration : Clinical Trials.gov NCT00643006
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 .