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Walking for Exercise
by Bryant Howard, BA, MA, CFT, SPN |
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Walking can condition your heart and lungs, strengthen bones and muscles, relieve tension, control weight, and generally make you feel good. Walking is easy, inexpensive, safe, and accessible. You can walk by yourself or with company, and you can take your exercise with you wherever you go. Walking is safer and puts less stress on the body than jogging or running. It's an especially good choice if you are older, have been sedentary, or have joint problems.
Most people with a chronic illness can walk as a fitness exercise. If you walk to shop, visit friends, and do household chores, then you'll probably be able to walk for exercise. Using a cane or walker need not stop you from getting into a walking routine. If you are in a wheelchair, use crutches, or experience more than mild discomfort when you walk a short distance, you should consider some other type of aerobic exercise, or consult a physician or therapist for help.
Be cautious the first two weeks of walking. If you haven't been doing much for a while, 10 minutes of walking may be enough. Build up your time with intervals of strolling. Each week increase the brisk walking interval by no more than 5 minutes until you are up to 20 or 30 minutes. Follow the frequency, duration, and intensity guidelines, and read these tips before you start.
Walking Tips
- Choose your ground. Walk on a flat, level surface. Walking on hills, uneven ground, soft earth, sand, or gravel is hard work, and often leads to hip, knee, or foot pain. Fitness trails, shopping malls, school tracks, streets with sidewalks, and quiet neighborhoods are good places to get started.
- Always warm-up and cool-down with a stroll. It's important to walk slowly for 3 to 5 minutes to prepare your circulation and muscles for a brisk walk, and to finish up with the same slow walk to let your body slow down gradually.
- Set your own pace. It takes practice to find the right walking speed. To find your speed, start walking slowly for a few minutes, then increase your speed to a pace that is slightly faster than normal for you. After 5 minutes, monitor your exercise intensity by checking your pulse, or using the perceived exertion or talk methods. If you are above the range or feel out of breath, slow down. If you are below the range, try walking a little faster. Walk another 5 minutes and check your intensity again. If you are still below your exercise range, keep walking at a comfortable speed and simply check your intensity in the middle and at the end of each walk.
- Increase your arm work. You can also raise your heart rate into the "ideal" or target exercise range by increasing arm work. (Many people with lung disease may want to avoid arm exercises.) Bend your elbows a bit and swing your arms more vigorously. Alternatively, carry a one or two pound weight (0.75 kg) in each hand. You can purchase hand weights for walking, hold a can of food in each hand, or put small dense items into two small plastic beverage bottles or socks.
Footwear
- It's not necessary to spend a lot of money on shoes. Wear shoes of the correct length and width with shock absorbing soles and insoles. Make sure they're big enough in the toe area: the "rule of thumb" is a thumb width between the end of your longest toe and the end of the shoe. You shouldn't feel pressure on the sides or tops of your toes. The heel counter should hold your heel firmly in the shoe when you walk.
- Wear shoes with a continuous crepe or composite sole in good repair. Shoes with leather soles and a separate heel don't absorb shock as well as the newer athletic and casual shoes. Shoes with laces or Velcro let you adjust width as needed and give more support than slip-ons.
- Many people like shoes with removable insoles that can be exchanged for more shock absorbing ones. When you shop for insoles, take your walking shoes with you. Try on the shoe with the insole to make sure that there's still enough room inside for your foot to be comfortable.
Possible Problems
- If you have pain around your shins when you walk, you may not be spending enough time warming up. Try some ankle exercises before you start walking. Start your walk at a slow pace for at least 5 minutes. Keep your feet and toes relaxed.
- Fast walking puts stress on knee joints. To slow your speed and keep your heart rate up, try doing more work with your arms and extend your warm-up to reduce knee pain.
- Cramps in the calf and heel pain can be helped by stretching the Achilles tendon before and after walking. A slow walk to warm up is also helpful. If you have circulatory problems in your legs, and experience cramps or pain in your calves while walking, alternate intervals of brisk and slow walking at whatever pace you can tolerate. Such exercises may even help you to gradually walk farther with less cramping or pain. If this doesn't help, check with your physician or therapist for suggestions.
- Maintain good posture. Remember to keep your head up and your shoulders relaxed to help reduce neck and upper back discomfort.
Bryant Howard BA, MA, CFT, SPN — Bryant is certified through the International Sports Sciences Association. He is both a Fitness Trainer and Performance Nutrition Specialist. He also holds certification in CPR and First Aid. He has trained competitive athletes for ten years and offers personal and group training sessions in the Portland, OR area. Bryant Howard owns Performance Fitness Training
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November 2000 Vol. 1 #9 Table of Contents
