QUESTION: I am no athlete and never have been one.
Now, in my middle years, I am considering brisk walking, something which I do enjoy, as an alternative to all the jogging, aerobics and other exercise activities that get such a play in the press.
My question to you is whether you think that this type of activity is going to do me any good?
ANSWER: Over the last few years, there has been a great deal of debate in the medical community over the aerobic benefits of walking versus a good hard run. Certainly walkers have fewer injuries.
But the question has always been can they achieve the all important training effect? In checking the medical literature on this one, there seems to me to be enough important evidence to warrant a big "yes" to your question.
In one study, under controlled conditions, 343 subjects, both men and women between the ages of 30-69, were asked to walk a mile as fast as possible.
The result was ninety-one percent of all the women and 83 percent of the men over 50 easily reached a training heart rate. A training heart rate (THR) is calculated using a person's maximum heart rate, which can be figured either by subtracting your age from 220 or by taking a treadmill test.
In this case, each of the people who were part of the study began by running in place on a treadmill until they reached the point of exhaustion, during which time their heartbeat and ability to use oxygen was monitored.
This record was then compared to data recorded during a 30-minute walk. The benefits of aerobic exercise depends heavily on intensity, or the ability to use the oxygen we take in while moving fast enough to maintain 70 percent of our maximum heart rate.
For women and for men over fifty, this was easy to achieve when walking at speeds just under 3.4 mph.
Younger men could only achieve a THR by walking a good deal faster. If you add it all up, it means good news for the middle aged person who wants to be just a bit healthier through exercise.
A good brisk walk that is performed long enough and often enough may be just your ticket.
And the fact that it is an activity you enjoy makes it a fine choice.
The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician.
Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.
