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“Walking is for women or for the elderly”.
“Walking is for those who aren’t skilled enough to play sport’.
Really – if you believe what is written above, you are misinformed. Walking is in fact one of the fastest growing and popular activities world-wide. One of the main misconceptions people have about walking is that it is effortless and therefore can’t be taken seriously. In this day and age we are always after quick fixes, which is why walking which requires more time, is often dismissed for other “more intense” cardiovascular activities.
And yet an ever-growing body of research reveals that walking can lower blood pressure, burn fat, increase the efficiency of the heart and lungs, lower the risk of Type 2 Diabetes, improve bone density, decrease stress levels and the list goes on…
Perhaps we think that as we already walk every day and have little to show for it, it’s not worth it. However, the 2-minute walk to your car and the twenty steps up and down the office passage cannot be compared to focused, higher intensity walking for longer durations.
The best way to get rid of misconceptions is to further investigate them.
Try walking on the treadmill at a brisk pace and see how far or how long you manage. How’s your heart rate? Are you a little surprised that towards the end of your “session”, your breathing became more laboured, your leg muscles felt a little tired and the exercise was certainly not effortless!
Walking as a fat burner
Running does burn energy more quickly, so if you have minimal time to exercise and running suits you – enjoy it! However, if you have a little more time, walking can be very effective in fat burning, bearing in mind the fact that whether you walk or run a given distance, your body actually burns the same amount of energy.
However, whilst the total energy expenditure of 5km is the same whether you run or walk it, your perception of effort will certainly be different! High impact activities often cause people to tire after 20 minutes, therefore you might miss out on burning as much energy had you rather walked the full distance.
Realise that your cardiovascular system responds to effort and exertion, not what type of exercise it is doing; so you’ll definitely reap rewards through walking.
Muscle adaptation
“Won’t running be much more effective for muscle toning?”
Walking and running actually use the same muscles i.e. quadriceps (quads), hamstrings, gluteals (glutes), calves and abdominals to a certain extent – so your muscles won’t be cheated of a workout. In running, your quads work extra hard, since they are required to decelerate your body with every step. Walking on the other hand, requires more work from the gluteals and hamstrings, especially if you are walking up a hill, so if you’re wanting a toned butt – read on!
Remember too, walking can always form part of another programme. Therefore, if you are a runner, there will be times when you need to lay-off on the intensity or there may be situations in long races, training or in trail running, when you simply have to walk, so why not practice this aspect of your programme too?
Risk-free benefits
This sounds too good to be true doesn’t it – but walking poses the least health risk of any cardiovascular exercise. Consider the following facts:
- Every time you run, the impact of each step is six times greater than when you are walking – which is why so many runners end up with tendonitis and other injuries. This is especially important for large people where the impact on foot strike is even greater.
- “Gym addicts”; walking provides an ideal way of supplementing your gym sessions. It can get you outdoors, which is great for stress relief as well as providing you with more variety in your training.
- “Wounded warriors”; for those of you nursing an injury or in the process of recovery, chances are that you are unable to do your usual training. Don’t become so demoralized that you throw in the towel and become a couch potato until the injury has healed – let walking form an integral part of your rehabilitation. It can help you to rebuild your stamina and strength without undue strain on your body.
Decide on a walking surface that bests suits your recovery. For example, waist-high water or level surfaces if the injury requires stability; soft sand, tall grass or rocky surfaces if you want to do proprioceptive training (training your muscles to adapt to neural responses) or steep hills if you are aiming at fitness. All of these modes of walking can enable a faster recovery.
To finally convince you that walking is worth it, I was struck by three quotes about walking in a recent article in an UK fitness magazine. I would like to share these with you:
- “If you’re not using walking as a fat-burning, cross-training tool, the chances are you’re keeping your body from reaching its full potential”. Myatt Murphy (Health journalist)
- “When done correctly, walking isn’t any less taxing on your muscles or lungs than other exercise – it’s just less taxing on your joints” - Alan Johnson (Director of the High Altitude Running Camp in Colorado)
- If you think that walking is just some less efficient, watered-down version of running,
you’re missing out” - Alan Johnson (Director of the High Altitude Running Camp in Colorado)
We’ll see you on the road (walking AND breathless)! (Kathleen Mc Quaide, Health24)
