Effects of Power Walking Exercise on Fatigue, Blood Lipids, and Body Composition in Overweight Korean College Students with Taeumin Constitution

Monday, 7 July 2008
Eun–Ju Shin, RN, PhD , Nursing department, Kunsan College of Nursing, South Korea, Kunsan, South Korea

Learning Objective 1: To examine the effects of the power walking exercise on fatigue and overweight in college students with taeumin constitution.

Learning Objective 2: This finding suggests that nursing interventions specific to Koreans are necessary, based on the inborn specificity of individuals.

ABSTRACT

Purpose: To examine the effects of the power walking exercise on fatigue and overweight in college students with taeumin constitution.

Methods: According to the result of the constitution diagnosis (QSCC II), 58 students who were identified as taeumin and whose BMI was over 23 kg/‡u and whose fatigue scores were over 40 were assigned to one of three groups. The experimental group walked fast at a speed of 7,000 steps per hour using a pedometer, and control group I walked at a speed of 5,000 steps per hour. No treatment was used with the control group II. Each group's fatigue level, blood lipids and body composition before and after the experiment were compared and analyzed.

Results: Total fatigue, physical fatigue and mental fatigue decreased significantly in the power walking group compared to the walking group and control group II. Total cholesterol decreased significantly in the power walking group compared to the walking group and control group II, neutral fat decreased significantly in the power walking group compared to the walking group, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly in the power walking group compared to the control group II. Weight decreased significantly in the power walking group compared to the control group II, and percentage of body fat decreased significantly in both the power walking group and the walking group compared to the control group II.

Conclusion: When power walking was used with overweight taeumin students, fatigue, blood lipid, weight and percentage of body fat decreased significantly. This finding suggests that nursing interventions specific to Koreans are necessary, based on the inborn specificity of individuals.

Key words: exercise, fatigue, overweight