signalsGetting Fit - Is Walking Really Enough?
January 30th 2007 17:37
We've all heard doctors and numerous studies cite the benefits of walking, that it can reduce heart disease, help you lose weight, improve your fitness, etc. However, I read an interesting article this month in the magazine "On Fitness." Apparently, not knowing better, many people do something called "house walking" on the treadmill or around the track. This type of walking is the speed at which you might walk to the next room in your house - slow and easy.
Unfortunately, walking at this pace - even for an extended time - won't do much for fat burning or improving your fitness. Our body expects to move at this rate. It may be fine to start out with a 3 mph walk if you are out of shape, but the key is to progressively increase the intensity. By challenging your body, you're forced to burn more calories and fat than you would if you were putting in little effort. Try doing 1-minute intervals of high intensity walking, followed by a 2-minute period of rest. Make sure you rest enough to get your heart rate down between intervals. This has been proven to burn up to four times more fat.
Walking is a great exercise for physical fitness - just remember to put enough into it.
Claire S.
Unfortunately, walking at this pace - even for an extended time - won't do much for fat burning or improving your fitness. Our body expects to move at this rate. It may be fine to start out with a 3 mph walk if you are out of shape, but the key is to progressively increase the intensity. By challenging your body, you're forced to burn more calories and fat than you would if you were putting in little effort. Try doing 1-minute intervals of high intensity walking, followed by a 2-minute period of rest. Make sure you rest enough to get your heart rate down between intervals. This has been proven to burn up to four times more fat.
Claire S.
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