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“No! It’s a form of exercise in itself,” I argued, brandishing a SELF magazine which featured a large spread on getting fit with walking.
But is walking really a workout? Researching the topic a few years later, I came upon a growing body of evidence which shows that walking for just half an hour for five days a week is the very best form of exercise. A simple stroll in the fresh air can transform how you think and feel. Push it just a little further – and faster – and the results can be truly amazing. Walking is one of the best ways to stay fit, lose weight, and feel fantastic.
You may be surprised to learn that brisk walking can be almost as challenging as jogging. When you walk at speeds faster than 3.1 mph, your stride length naturally increases. Lengthening your stride requires additional energy to move your legs forward, which in turn requires more arm and torso movement, which leads to increased torso and hip rotation, which amounts to higher aerobic demands and more calorie-burning.
What are the types of walking?
There are two types of formal walking: Power-walking (also known as speed-walking) and race-walking. The difference between them is that race-walking is an Olympic sport with rules, while power-walking is done more recreationally. For example, there’s a race-walking rule that the athlete’s back toe cannot leave the ground until the heel of the front foot has touched. However, they are both excellent forms of exercise that yield fitness and health benefits.
Another type of walking requires no technique. You just get out there and walk. I call this the plain old walking technique, one step in front of the other! You’ve been doing it your entire life.
The easy walk
All that counts when you start is the amount of time you put in; not your speed or the distance you cover. Just pull on some comfortable footwear, walk for five minutes, then come back. That’s it. There’s no need to stretch before you set out, as long as you walk slowly for a few minutes to warm up, though it’s wise to stretch your thigh and calf muscles when you get back.
Next time, check your posture and stride. Walk tall, keeping your eyes focused straight ahead, and strike the ground with your heel before rolling through your foot and pushing off with your toes. Once you can stroll at 2 to 2.5mph for 10 minutes without getting out of breath, increase the speed to 3mph and double the time. Calories burned: 170 to 224 per hour
The energising walk
Health benefits really kick in once you can walk at a ‘brisk’ pace for 30 minutes most days; which means hurrying as if you’re late. Make sure you’re walking at 3.5mph, which means covering a mile in 17 minutes, including low hills. It can be tempting to deceive yourself, so find a local landmark a mile away – a park, for example – and see if you can reach it in the time allotted.
Calories burned: 258 per hour
The weight-loss walk
Walk for 45 minutes four days a week and you can lose 18lb in a year without dieting. Sadly, you can’t stroll yourself slim in under an hour, so speed up! You need to walk a mile in 15 minutes to burn fat. Build up to it by quickening your pace, taking shorter steps rather than over-extending your stride, which can hurt your back.
Tackling steeper hills increases the calorie burn. For speed walking, you need shoes that are low at the back to protect your Achilles tendon, and a broad toe box to prevent blisters – New Balance has a good range.
Calories burned: 340 per hour
The stamina-building walk
At 4.5mph, power walking burns as many calories as jogging, but there’s a knack to getting it right. Do some stretches to warm up, then lengthen and raise your torso by dropping your shoulders, engage the core muscles in your middle, and tuck in your bottom.
Bend your arms at 90 degrees, pumping them from shoulder to hip so your right arm comes forward as your left leg goes backwards. Then push off from your back foot with your toes, keeping your leg straight, and plant your feet one in front of the other.
Calories burned: 428 per hour
The uplifting walk
Walking in the countryside is as intoxicating as a glass of champagne. According to Dutch research, it can reduce the incidence of heart disease, diabetes, migraine, chest infections, upper body aches, tummy bugs and urinary infections, especially in the 46 to 65 age group.
There is the thinking that you should walk where you can work out your problems, and undertake a stress-busting walk where you go with the flow. All rhythmic exercise has a meditative effect, so this is a chance to practice mindfulness, or awareness of the moment. Notice the breeze on your cheek, the sky and the water. Don’t worry about your speed.
Calories burned: 340 per hour (walking on uneven ground takes more effort)
Note, however, that walking is a fairly mild exercise, which does not require vigorous physical exertion. Therefore, with the right equipment, you would likely be physically capable of walking for hours. You won’t meet the same fatigue that a more vigorous exercise, such as running or weightlifting, could lead to.
Don’t expect to see fast results. Incorporating walking into your daily schedule is about making healthier choices towards a better lifestyle; and it’s a change that you should maintain indefinitely. Don’t use walking as a get-fit-quick scheme, or as a quick, one-shot weight loss tool.
1. Develop a strong mental attitude for “slow but steady” exercise. This will be easier for some than for others. To borrow from a popular phrase, walking is definitely a marathon, not a sprint, so get your mental endurance ready before you begin this trek.
2. Hydrate well before you begin walking. Make sure you have consumed between eight and 16 ounces of water an hour before you are about to walk. Drink more water if you plan to walk for a longer time. You don’t want to become dehydrated while you are exercising, especially under a hot sun.
3. Pick an easy first walk. Make sure that no matter how far you get from your starting point, you are able to get back there. Walking on an oval track no more than a quarter mile around should be perfect.
4. Set a time and build up. When you first start walking, decide how many minutes you will walk. Choose a length of time you know you can make. Do not worry about how short that period is. Just keep moving until you reach it. Two to five minutes each day is a good start. That time will increase from week to week.
Increase your time. Each walk, increase your walking time by 30 seconds to 1 minute, until you are able to sustain a 10-minute walk. Again, do not fret if you can’t go longer than the day before. Set the goal and keep at it, and you will reach it faster than you think. After reaching 10 minutes, your rate of increasing may slow, but continue trying to increase your walking time by 5 minutes each week.
5. After you’ve worked into a general routine, try switching things up with interval training. Walk at an increased rate for one to two minutes, and then slow back to your normal rate for two minutes. Every day or two, add an interval until you reach your desired total time, including rest periods. As you become more physically fit, reduce your rest periods until they are down to a minute or less.
Week Warm-up Brisk walking Cool-down
1 5 minutes 5 minutes 5 minutes
2 5 minutes 7 minutes 5 minutes
3 5 minutes 9 minutes 5 minutes
4 5 minutes 11 minutes 5 minutes
5 5 minutes 13 minutes 5 minutes
6 5 minutes 15 minutes 5 minutes
7 5 minutes 18 minutes 5 minutes
8 5 minutes 20 minutes 5 minutes
9 5 minutes 23 minutes 5 minutes
10 5 minutes 26 minutes 5 minutes
11 5 minutes 28 minutes 5 minutes
12 5 minutes 30 minutes 5 minutes
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2013
Know the benefits:
Physical activity doesn’t need to be complicated. Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can help you live a healthier life.
For example, regular brisk walking can help you:
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes
• Strengthen your bones
• Lift your mood
• Improve your balance and coordination
The faster, farther and more frequently you walk, the greater the benefits.
Sources:www.wikiHow.com,www.MayoClinic.com.htm,www.medicine.net,www.netdoctor.com
