The benefits of walking cannot be underestimated; it has several benefits for the mind and body. Even though walking is a great form of exercise, many doctors and fitness enthusiasts recommend including another form of strenuous exercise to your daily walks to stay fit.
Alex Rothstein, an exercise physiologist and assistant professor at the New York Institute of Technology, points out that while walking is widely praised as healthy, it may not always qualify as a top-tier workout. To make walking truly effective, consider the intensity of your walks, your current fitness level, and your personal health goals.
Why Walking Intensity Matters?
Most people tend to evaluate their exercise by the number of steps they take. Even though that’s helpful to some degree, Dr. Rothstein cautions against making it the sole focus of your exercise. Dr. Rothstein says it is important to consider the intensity of your walks and the time you spend exercising.
To that end, you need to make sure that you walk for a prolonged period of time. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that people aim for 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise. The College of Sports Medicine recommends doing activities like brisk walking coupled with 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise like swimming or running uphill.
Fitness enthusiasts say that moderate exercise differs from one person to another. What’s sustainable moderate-intensity exercise to one person may be different for another. Dr. Rothstein says that to figure out which category your walk falls into, you will need to take note of how hard you are working out.
If you are out of breath and feel that your activity level is a six or seven out of 10, then you have probably reached moderate-intensity exercise. He also says there is the talk test. For example, if you can easily carry out a conversation, then your exercise is low intensity, but if you can get some words out but can’t sing, then that’s moderate.
When Walking Doesn’t Meet the Standards
Walking is great for your cardiovascular health, and it can remarkably increase your cardiovascular fitness, but it doesn’t help you build muscles like other activities, such as lifting weights or doing squats and lunges.
The American Heart Association recommends supplementing aerobic exercise with other muscle training activities at least twice a week. For starters, if you are just beginning an exercise regimen, you can combine walking with other exercises, such as bodyweight exercises or resistance bands. Doctors and fitness enthusiasts concur that strengthening your muscles could also help you walk longer and faster.
Resistance training prevents bone loss more effectively than walking alone, which, combined with balance exercises and stretching, can help you maintain your mobility and also prevent falls, especially as you get older.
How to Improve Your Walking Workouts
There are several strategies that you could use to increase the intensity of your walks. Besides picking up your walking pace, you can also try alternating between slow and fast walking. Another helpful tip is to try Nordic walking with poles. This form of walking helps you engage your upper body, allowing you to tone your muscles.
It is also advisable to train your body to walk in different terrains. For starters, you can walk on rugged terrain or choose to head uphill or downhill. Whatever you choose to do, remember that the best exercise or workout is one you will keep doing and that challenges you.
David Messiha | Staff Writer
