The Effect of 12,000 Steps Daily Walking on Cardiometabolic Biomarkers in Sedentary Adults with Obesity

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of 12,000 steps daily walking versus 12,000 steps daily walking with moderate intensity exercise for 12 weeks on cardiovascular and metabolic markers in sedentary adults with obesity. METHODS: Fifty-four adults with obesity (age 31.7 ± 7.2 years, body mass index [BMI] 29.0 ± 3.3 kg/m2, sedentary time 9.5 ± 2.4 hours) were recruited, and 51.2% of the participants were male. The participants were randomly assigned to the following groups: 1) control group (maintained their normal daily lifestyle); 2) walking group (12,000 steps/day × 5 days/week); and 3) exercise group (12,000 steps/day × 5 days/week, including 30 min of continuous moderate-intensity exercise × 3 days/week) for 12-weeks in free-living settings. Fitbit and activPAL were used to monitor changes in the participants’ behavior. Body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiovascular and metabolic markers were examined at baseline and after the intervention. Lipids, insulin, C-reactive protein (CRP), vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), E-selectin, P-selectin, leptin, and adiponectin were measured using assay kits. The data were analyzed using a generalized estimated equation with Bonferroni post hoc comparison. RESULTS: The average daily walking steps significantly increased in both the walking and exercise groups within 12 weeks. Compared with pre-test levels, cardiorespiratory fitness had shown a remarkable increase following the 12-week walking or exercise intervention, while alterations in the body composition (body weight, BMI, and waist circumference) were observed only in the exercise group. Triglycerides and MCP-1 were significantly decreased in both intervention groups, whereas positive effects were found for total cholesterol, CRP, adiponectin, and P-selectin in the exercise group only. CONCLUSION: Although both walking and exercise groups showed improvement in certain cardiometabolic biomarkers, the latter might have more benefits. These findings provide important implications for public health efforts, particularly physical exercise that could help reduce the risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases, especially in sedentary adults with obesity.