SHAPE UP
Take a stroll and those extra pounds will slip away
By Charles Stuart Platkin
After decades of being told that "exercise" requires a serious commitment of time and sweat, it may be hard to believe that something as simple as going for a walk could improve your health and help you lose weight. But research shows that walking works.
"Walking is a flexible and available exercise that's easy to incorporate into your everyday life. Other benefits include preferentially losing more fat and hanging onto more muscle," says Ross Andersen, a professor of geriatric medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. "Self-confidence increases after you start a walking program, and as your self-confidence increases, you start including more fitness in your life."
A moderately paced walk burns almost 5 calories per minute, and while that may not seem like much, it adds up. Get this: You only burn about 20 percent more calories when you run a mile than you do when you walk a mile. So walking means less sweat and less muscle stress with about the same calorie expenditure. Walking also has fewer risks of injury than fast-paced jogging.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Andersen found that a program of diet plus lifestyle activity (such as simple walking) can offer health benefits similar to diet plus vigorous activity for overweight individuals.
Not convinced yet? A recent Duke University study found that you can walk for 30 minutes a day, not diet, and keep weight off. And the National Weight Control Registry, which keeps an ongoing record of some individuals who have managed to maintain weight loss for five years or more, reports that a staggering 77 percent of successful losers use walking as their primary means of physical activity.
A common complaint is being too busy to exercise. So fit in your walking with things you need to do anyway. Walk the dog; walk the kids to the bus stop. If it's too far to walk all the way to the store, drive or take the bus halfway and walk the remaining distance. But to lose weight, you need to walk an additional four to five hours a week.
Research shows that the more scenic your walks are, the more likely you'll want to take them. Malls, parks, paths, trails and even your neighborhood sidewalks can be nice sites for a 10-minute, 15-minute, or even a 30-minute walk.
Various communities sponsor walking clubs; take advantage of those. Walking in a group will increase motivation and help you challenge yourself by keeping up with the others.
Podiatrists suggest getting cross trainers, running shoes, or walking shoes. And stay away from those "designer" shoes that are all looks but no support.
Charles Stuart Platkin is a syndicated health, nutrition and fitness columnist.
