The Effect Of Moderate-intensity Intermittent Interval Walking On Heart Rate And Enjoyment In Middle-aged Women

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate heart rate (HR) and exercise enjoyment during and following three walking protocols in middle-aged women. METHODS: Ten women (mean ± SD = 55 ± 4 years) completed three walking protocols of the same work volume (90 MET·min) in a randomized, counter-balanced order. The protocols consisted of one 30-min bout of low-moderate continuous walking (CW) (3 METs; ~ 4.8 km/h), three 10-min bouts of low-moderate intermittent walking (IW), and three 8-min 40-s bouts of intermittent interval walking (IIW) with cycles of 30 s:120 s of high-moderate (5 METs; ~ 6.4 km/h): low-moderate intensities. HR and exercise enjoyment were assessed during six evenly distributed exercise increments and post-exercise (0-min, 10-min). The Exercise Enjoyment Scale (EES) was utilized to assess enjoyment during and post-exercise, while the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES) only assessed post-exercise enjoyment. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze mean HR and enjoyment differences between experimental treatments. RESULTS: IIW (112.0 ± 16.0) elicited a significantly higher during exercise HR than IW (105.0 ± 14.0; p = 0.01), but HR during CW (107.0 ± 14.0; p > 0.05) was not different from the other treatments. Immediately following exercise (0-min), both CW (108.0 ± 14.0; p = 0.004) and IIW (109.0 ± 16.0; p = 0.03) elicited a significantly higher HR than IW (102.0 ± 14.0). However, 10 min later, CW (82.0 ± 18.0) elicited a significantly higher HR than IW (73.0 ± 12.0); IIW (77.0 ± 13.0; p > 0.05) did not differ from the other treatments. Despite during and post-exercise HR differences, exercise enjoyment during (CW: 4.0 ± 0.82; IW: 4.0 ± 0.61; IIW: 4.0 ± 1.2) and following (EES 0-min: CW: 4.0 ± 0.99; IW: 4.0 ± 0.68; IIW: 4.0 ± 1.4) (PACES 0-min: CW: 89.0 ± 10.1; IW: 89.0 ± 11.5; IIW: 88.0 ± 22.4) (EES 10-min: CW: 4.0 ± 1.1; IW: 4.0 ± 0.66; IIW: 4.0 ± 1.2) (PACES 10-min: CW: 89.0 ± 15.0; IW: 88.0 ± 12.6; IIW: 86.0 ± 20.2) exercise were not different amongst treatments (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the present study, it is possible to conclude that moderate-intensity intermittent interval walking may be a viable exercise prescription suitable for middle-aged women to progress to higher exercise intensities and address the barrier of time.