An association between the intensity of daily steps and weight reduction

BACKGROUND? A popular method of promoting physical activity is the use of a pedometer, with a goal commonly set of 10,000 steps a day. Until now most research has quantified the number of steps that would bring optimal results with less emphasis on the cadence. METHODS? The research is based on data from 49 participants of a workplace intervention that was conducted during 2011 and lasted a year. We sought to find a correlation between the aerobic steps ratio, defined as the ratio between the number of daily aerobic steps and total daily steps, and the change in three anthropometric indices: body weight, percent of body fat and waist circumference. RESULTS? During the program, there was an average reduction of 1.36 kg in total body weight, 0.89% in body fat, and an average increase of 0.24 cm in waist circumference. Average total daily steps were 11,266, and the average aerobic ratio was 0.23. After conducting regression analysis, taking into account total daily steps, we found a significant correlation between the aerobic ratio and reduction in weight (0.324, P=0.041). CONCLUSIONS? An intensity-based goal should be considered for participants in work place intervention programs aimed at weight loss.