Subjects were classified as having no regular exercise if they reported not to be participating in any physical activities such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening, or walking for exercise during the previous month.
Briefly, study participants were required to be sedentary at baseline, defined as the absence of structured exercise during the previous 6 months.
Data on the average number of days per week participating in a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise during the previous 6 months was collected.
A respondent was considered to be physically inactive if they did not participate in any leisure time physical activity or exercise during the previous 30 days [ 13].
Analyses were adjusted for age, alcohol consumption (daily alcohol intake amount), smoking status (current smoker, former smoker, or never smoker), pack-years of cigarette smoking, and physical activity (frequency of days with moderate or vigorous exercise during the previous week).
Participants reported their average time per week engaged in walking for exercise or to work during the previous year.
They exercise during the week.
In addition, they were nonsmoking, were without uncontrolled hypertension, had a BMI <35 kg/m, and reported no regular physical activity (i.e., fewer than two 20-min bouts of exercise per week during the previous 6 months).
Physical activity level was determined by participants' self-reported frequency of engaging in specific types of leisure-time exercise or activities during the previous month multiplied by the rate of energy expenditure (intensity rating) for those activities according to a standardized coding method [ 21].
None of the volunteers exercised during that period.
