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Bodytalk
Question: Is walking an effective way to exercise, and do you have some suggestions on how to get started? Walking the walk to
better health and fitnessAnswer: Brisk walking is the easiest, safest, most convenient, least expensive, and one of the best ways to stay fit.
The only equipment required is a good sturdy pair of walking shoes.
And walking shoes are a lot less expensive than running shoes because they don't need to protect the body from high-impact injury.
Walking for one mile briskly (3-4 miles per hour) burns nearly as many calories as jogging one mile at a moderate pace.
The key word here is briskly; walk as if you're late for an important appointment.
There have been countless studies on the benefits of walking.
Without exception, they all show walking to be a form of exercise that enhances an individual's physical and psychological fitness.
The biggest physical payoffs are reduced risks of heart disease and of osteoporosis of the bones in the lower body.
In addition to keeping our hearts and lungs healthy and our bones strong as we age, walking is a great way to reduce daily stress.
Take a walk instead of a pill.
How much walking is enough?
Four brisk one-hour walks a week would be ideal.
But few of us live in an ideal world, so if you can't work that into your schedule take shorter walks and walk most days of the week.
When you walk, swing your arms.
By doing so, you can burn up to 10 percent more calories and you get a bit of an upper-body workout as well but, alas, not enough to prevent osteoporosis in the upper body bones.
As you increase your pace, start to pump your arms gradually.
By this, I mean bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle and move your arms back and forth from the shoulders.
Stand up straight as you walk, and look ahead.
Land on your heels and push off from your toes.
Find and maintain a stride that feels natural for you.
After you've been walking for a few weeks, start adding some hills to your workout.
Try out different, more difficult terrain, such as the beach, hiking trails, running tracks and the treadmill.
If you're walking on a treadmill, start out at about 2 miles per hour, at 0 grade, and hold the handrails. This will help secure your footing.
As you find your stride and are able to maintain balance, you can begin to let go.
Gradually increase your speed.
When you feel ready, increase the grade, too, but not at more than 3 percent during any one workout.
After a while, experiment with altering speed and grade.
Try to make your workout match how it would feel if you were walking outdoors.
When you're ready to let go of the handrails completely, swing or pump your arms, depending on how fast you're going.
Look into walking clinics. The YMCA, gyms and health clubs, adult-education centers, and the heart and lung associations usually know about or even sometimes sponsor such clinics.
Every walker can benefit from the basic training that these types of clinics offer.
Also, walking with a friend or in a group is really fun, although walking alone is wonderful too.
Health Events
Stephenie Karony is a certified health
and fitness instructor, a personal trainer and the author of
"Body Shaping with Free Weights." Send questions to her at
P.O. Box 262, Wailuku Hi. Her column appears on Wednesdays.