"That lengthens your stride, works the calf muscles more and propels the leg forward into the next step." Push vigorously off your toes at the end of every step."It helps you take quicker steps, and there's evidence that a vigorous arm swing increases your caloric expenditure." Keep your arms bent at a 90-degree angle at the elbow, like a runner, for a compact, quick arm swing, he says.But consciously picking up the step rate will help you boost the speed and intensity of the workout." It also brings hips into a better position for a powerful stride," he says. "This opens your chest for easier breathing and removes tension from the shoulders and neck. Stand tall, shoulders back, no sway in your lower back, head up and eyes on the horizon. Mark Fenton, an adjunct associate professor at Tufts University and co-author of Pedometer Walking, offers these suggestions for increasing your walking speed: "I carry my smartphone, and I use the MapMyWalk app to track the time and measure the distance." You can time yourself on your loop around the neighborhood, mall or walking trail and push yourself to walk it a bit faster over time, he says. You should feel like if you moved any faster, you'd be breathless." "Brisk means that you get warm while walking, and you can sense that your heart rate is slightly elevated."Īdds Cotton: "You should be able to converse but not sing. For some people, a 3 mph pace would be a brisk walk, but for others, that would be a moderate pace, says Nelson, who co-chaired the committee that created the government's physical-activity guidelines. Plus, the guidelines recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activities, such as push-ups, sit-ups or lifting weights. The physical-activity guidelines recommend getting at least 2½ hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as jogging. Walking is the most popular form of physical activity among adults in the USA and the most frequently reported activity among adults who meet the federal physical-activity guidelines, the government says. You can walk wherever you are, even if it's just walking in place in your house or taking the stairs more." It's probably the most convenient physical activity that you can work into your life, says exercise physiologist Richard Cotton, a spokesman for the American College of Sports Medicine in Indianapolis. And they need to walk whenever they can: Walk to do errands, walk the dog, go out and enjoy a local park. "Exercise targets so many different aspects of health."Īlmost nothing is easier and cheaper than walking, but many people need to pick up the pace and put some spring into their step, she says. "Walking is really powerful medicine," says Miriam Nelson, a professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston and co-author of Strong Women Stay Young. Exercise has been shown to lower the risk of early death, help control weight and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, some types of cancer and a host of other conditions. These studies add to a large volume of research on the benefits of regular physical activity. Other research found that exercise may be as effective as medication in preventing early death in people who have had heart attacks or strokes.Ībout 25% of all breast cancer cases in women of all ages could be avoided by maintaining a healthy body weight and doing regular physical activity, research shows. ![]() One study showed that taking a 15-minute moderate-paced (3 mph) walk about 30 minutes after a meal helped control blood sugar in people who are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Regular exercise, such as brisk walking, may be one of the best prescriptions for improving your health, recent research confirms.
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