Walking Your Way to Health

For years people were beaten with the idea that running was the best form of aerobic exercise. If cardiovascular health is your target, then, yes, running is your arrow. But for health and fitness you may be shooting slightly off the mark. The consensus from doctors, nutritionists and health professionals-speed walking is in. The benefits of speed walking, or health walking/fitness walking, are boundless. From fitness to personal well being and scenery, speed walking is the best form of exercise. Speed walking is walking fast, just short of running. Arms are swung in tempo with the steps and speed is between 3.5 and 5.5 miles per hour, six to nine miles per hour if you’re race walking. Perhaps the most appealing benefit of speed walking is weight loss. A 150-pound person walking at a pace of 4.5 mph on level terrain will burn about 440 calories per hour- the same as running slowly. A heavier person will burn calories even faster. Walking on grass, sand or hills leads to even more calories per hour by making you work harder. Running has its merits, but also has disadvantages where an activity like speed walking prevails. For one, running puts a lot of stress on the joints, bones and muscles (especially in the feet, knees and legs) in your body by pounding them into the pavement or other surface. The smooth and fluid stride of walking will do less damage to those parts of the body, and by staying erect you can strengthen your back and improve your posture. Another advantage walking has over more strenuous activities, like running, is that it isn’t limited to increasing cardiovascular health. Running will get your heart rate up and get your body working so you burn more calories, but pacing yourself to a fast walking speed will also elevate your heart rate and help you build muscle. Why is building muscle important? Aside from being able to walk proudly into a gym, the more muscle you have the higher your body’s metabolic rate will be. This way you will burn more fat just sitting around than the average non-walker.Just walking is not enough to increase your fitness. You have to walk fast and keep going for a long time. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, walking harder or faster only slightly increases the calories spent. A better way to burn up more calories is to increase the time spent walking. Just walking between classes isn’t nearly enough to get your heart pumping and muscles working the way they should be. In order to better your form and build stronger muscles, try walking with short, quick steps, just slightly longer than your usual walking stride. Land on your heel and roll the step to your toes. Also, don’t forget that your arms should be used as much in walking as your feet are. Keep your arms swinging with your steps, but don’t let them hang down low-that slows you down. Instead, relax your shoulders and hold your elbows at a ninety-degree angle and pump as you step. This will help you walk faster and build more muscle in your arms, torso and back. If you find that adding your arms isn’t getting you many results, try adding walking adjuncts- devices such as weighted gloves and weighted vests that add intensity to your walk, or challenge the muscles in your upper extremities.There are almost too many reasons to go out speed walking, but some are skeptical or unwilling because of a handful of excuses. Some find that they can’t walk in the area where they live because it is too dangerous or has rough terrain. PSC students can’t use that excuse, since we are at the gateway of the White Mountain region and there are roads and trails leading all over town just a few walking minutes from campus (Langdon Park, for instance). The main reason that students recite in defense of not walking, hiking or exercising is that they are too stressed or don’t have enough time, and this would be just one more thing to do. If this is the case, try walking in the morning. Get up half an hour earlier if you need and take a couple laps around the campus. Not only will the fresh air wake you up, but the exercise will motivate you and get your metabolism started so you can do more the rest of the day. If stress is your wall, then fret not for as with other forms of aerobic exercise, speed walking for twenty to sixty minutes, three or more times a week, provides stress-relief and other psychological benefits. It also helps reduce the risk of heart attack later in life. Do you hate the outdoors? Well, time spent walking around a mall or on a treadmill reaps the same benefits as hiking any local trail, sometimes more. If you already are walking and are getting bored with it, you might try walking at a different time of day, the morning perhaps, or try a new route or breaking your minutes up throughout the day. Regardless of how you do it, speed walking is one of the best exercise activities you can do. It keeps you fit, burns fat and gets you outdoors. If you’re looking to get in shape and get outdoors, speed walking is the way. Aside from all of the health benefits, speed walking is also independent and inexpensive. You don’t need a partner or a team. All you need is a pair of comfortable walking shoes and a place to walk – be it a park, track, treadmill, the local mall, or your own neighborhood.