HART: High-intensity Aerobic and Resistance Training for metabolic syndrome.

Arm 1: Walking Participants will undertake treadmill walking for 30 minutes at 70% of age-predicted maximum heart rate (based on the formula 220 – age), conducted 3 days/week for 12 weeks. All sessions will be supervised by an Accredited Exercise Physiologist who is a study investigator. All sessions will be conducted in laboratories in the Wallace Wurth Building, UNSW Sydney. Treadmill speed/grade will be individualised to the participant and titrated accordingly to maintain the target rate. Heart rate responses will be monitored via continuous heart rate monitoring will a Polar H10 monitor. Intervention compliance will be measured as how many of the of sessions the participant attends during the 12 weeks. In addition, participants will receive advice based on current physical activity guidelines to complete >150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, described as activity that “increases your breathing and heart rate but still allows you to maintain a conversation.” Participants will receive a diary to record their physical activity outside of the program during the study. Arm 2: Stairs Participants will undertake 5 x 20 second intervals of ascending/descending a single flight of stairs “as quickly but as safely as possible” in the Wallace Wurth Building at UNSW Sydney, conducted 3 days/week for 12 weeks. Participants will undertake a warm up of 3 minutes of brisk walking on flat ground in the corridor located next to the stairwell. Following each bout of stair climbing, participants will rest for 100 seconds. Following the last bout of stair climbing, participants will complete 3 minutes of walking on flat ground in the corridor. The total session time is 15 minutes. All sessions will be supervised by an Accredited Exercise Physiologist who is a study investigator. Heart rate responses will be monitored via continuous heart rate monitoring will a Polar H10 monitor. Intervention compliance will be measured as how many of the of sessions the participant attends during the 12 weeks. In addition, participants will receive advice based on current physical activity guidelines to complete >150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, described as activity that “increases your breathing and heart rate but still allows you to maintain a conversation.” Participants will receive a diary to record their physical activity outside of the program during the study.