Walk It Off: Benefits Of Walking Instead Of Running
If you’re not in an exercise routine, how do you get started?
One great way we can start to work physical activity into our lives is doing something most of us already do every day: walk.
A study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows that walking briskly can lower your risks of many diseases just as much as vigorous-intensity running:
And the study found that the more someone walked, the better the benefits.
If you don’t currently exercise, walking is a low-impact place to begin. You can start off slow by adding some speed and additional time to the walking you already do, says the American Heart Association (AHA), such as:
- Exploring a nearby park with friends or family
- Parking your car farther to walk inside a grocery store or workplace
- Taking your dog for a walk
The AHA recommends that you set a goal of walking for at least 30 minutes a day at least five days a week. Start off a walking routine doing as much as you feel comfortable doing. Add a little time each day until you build up to the full 150 minutes each week.
How can you know if you are exercising at the right intensity? A great way to measure the intensity of your workout is to use the “Talk Test,” says the AHA. Try talking in full sentences without having to gasp between words. If you are gasping for air to finish your sentence, your exercise is intense instead of moderate. But, if you can sing, your exercise is a little on the light side.
Some days can feel too short and to-do lists can seem far too long to fit in exercise. On those days, we find a way to make exercise feel just as important as other tasks that need done. One way is to break up your daily 30 minutes of walking into two or three smaller 10-minute or 15-minute walks.
To get the most benefits from working out, the AHA says we should strength train in addition to walking. At least two days a week, do moderate muscle-strengthening activities. Think anything from gardening to dance to yoga.
Whether you decide walking is the best workout for you, or you decide to tackle a different exercise, having a plan and staying active is one of the best ways to combat risks of heart disease and stroke.
Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; American Heart Association
