WALKING
- TREADMILL OR OUTDOORS
Pound-for-pound, walking
is still the most common form of exercise among adults. Walking
is the most versatile form of exercise available to us. You can
do it at any age, and you don't need any special skills to walk.
It is convenient and can be done almost anywhere. It has a low ground-impact,
and is therefore safer than virtually any other exercise.
But more than any other
reason, walking is an extremely effective form of exercise.
Which
is Better - Walking or Jogging?
Clearly, it would be
dishonest to say that walking burns as many calories or expends
as much energy as jogging. If you are looking to burn lots of calories,
jogging/running, high-impact aerobics or elliptical trainers/equipment
that uses all 4 limbs will be the better choice of exercise for
you.
However, if you are looking
at general health benefits, research shows that walking has as strong
an impact in reducing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, reduce
hypertention (decrease your blood pressure), decrease anxiety and
tension, lower your cholesterol and aid in weight reduction, walking
is as good as any other exercise, including jogging (1,2).
Which
is Better - Treadmill or Outdoor Walking?
There are a number of
ways to evaluate this question. First, let's look at it from an
energy standpoint. Treadmill walking and running will require slightly
less energy than outdoor running primarily because of wind resistance.
It has been determined that in order to make up for this, you can
adjust the treadmill to a 1% grade in order to simulate wind resistance
(8). Obviously, weather factors into this as well. As the temperature
of the environment increases, so will fluid loss and your need to
replenish those fluids. If your only outdoor walking option will
place you in an environment where there are cars and pollutants,
you are better off walking indoors on a treadmill. More about this
at the end of this article.
From a muscle and joint
perspective, a treadmill surface is going to be much softer and
have less impact on your joints. Not only is the surface softer,
but the direction of the treadmill platform moving in stride with
your feet will absorb more of the force of impact. If you are concerned
about worsening arthritis in the ankle, knee, hip or back, you are
better off using a treadmill.
Fascinating
Facts About Walking
- One study
(3) followed people who walked for one hour 3-4 times per week
from the age of 45 for the next 25 to 33 years. These people kept
their blood pressure, fat composition and amount of oxygen consumed
during exercise the same. Normally, there is about a 10% decrease
in these areas per decade after the age of 45.
- Considering
the risk of various diseases and what we know about how much walking
can reduce the risk of it, an estimated $5.6 billion would be
saved annually if 10% of adults began a regular walking program
(4).
- Walking barefoot
can cause plantar warts. The virus enters through a cut.
- The average
person takes 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day, which adds up to about
115,000 miles over a lifetime. That's enough to go around the
circumference of the earth four times.
- The fear
of walking is called "ambulophobia"
- Physical
activity and walking will lessen the chance of degeneration of
your spine. X-rays of the spines of 55 year olds in the US and
Sweden showed that 35-80% had disc narrowing in their spine (arthritis)
while only 9% of the Bihl tribe in India had spinal disc narrowing.
This primitive culture tribe walked throughout the day (5).
- People who
exercise (walk) show improved memory. A study (6)of exercisers
aged 55 to 91 was compared with an equal number of people in the
same age bracket who didn't exercise. Both groups were given a
one-hour series of tests assessing memory, reaction time and reasoning.
The exercisers performed significantly better in all reaction-time
tests, all reasoning tests and in two of the three memory tests.
"I think this study strongly suggests that exercise is important
in preserving our mental abilities as we grow older," said Louis
Clarkson Smith, Ph.D., who conducted the research with Alan A.
Hartley, Ph.D.
- The death rate for
men aged 61 to 81 years who walk less than one mile per day is
twice that of men in the same age group who walk more than 2 miles
per day.(7)
Correct
form for Walking
Although telling you
how to walk may seem like a major insult to your intelligence, there
are some small ways to tweak your technique thereby greatly improving
the aerobic effect of walking.
Posture: The foundation
of a good basic walking stride is posture. The spine should be elongated
by standing straight -- not in a rigid military position, merely
straight, tall, and relaxed. You should be able to draw a straight
line from your ear down to your shoulder, to your hip, knee and
ankle. A common problem to look for here is an unnatural arch in
the lower back. This incorrect posture can create lower back pain,
especially when walking long distances.
Head and Neck:
The head should be level, eyes looking forward, and the chin parallel
to the ground. A protruding chin or tilting the head down to look
at the ground is a common mistake. If the head is allowed to tilt
forward, strain is placed on the neck and shoulders and will lead
to fatigue in this area. Focus on looking forward about 12-20 feet
in front of you. If you need to look closer to where you are stepping,
lower your eyes, not your whole head. You should be walking in an
area where you do not NEED to look down at the ground!
Arms and Shoulders:
Your shoulders should be relaxed and not drawn up toward your ears.
If you are simply doing regular fitness walking, don't worry - you
won't have do your penguin imitation by bending your elbows and
pumping your arms in a punching motion. If you are "race",
"speed" or "power" walking, your elbows should
be bent at a 90 degree angle. This will decrease the distance the
arm needs to travel and force your feet to move faster while still
in a walking pattern. This is important, assuming you are working
on speed or winning a race. Because this increases your speed and
intensity, you will end up burning more calories - an added benefit
to those hoping to use walking as a weight-loss tool.
If you are bending your
elbows, this should occur naturally at about waist level. Your hands
should be relaxed and loose. Any excess tension in the arms or hands
should be avoided because it wastes energy. The elbows should be
close to the torso, with the hands going no higher than the center
of the chest on the forward swing, or past the back of your hip
pocket on the back swing.
If you are new
to this technique, you might initially find your arms getting fatigued.
If so, keep your arms bent for 5-10 minutes, then lower them to
recover. As soon as you feel rested, raise them again. As part of
your training, you might consider doing some upper body weight work
(not while you are walking) to increase your endurance.
Legs: The most
important areas by far during walking are your feet and hips. If
your hips are doing the right thing, most everything else should
fall into place. This also means that the lower back needs to be
stable and almost stiff, to allow the hips and the giant muscles
around it to do the bulk of the work (see below). Many
walking articles will tell you to have a highly flexible spine.
However, the more your spine rotates and
shifts while walking, the more you will risk wear and tear of your
vertebral discs over time. You will be much better off
spending time stretching your hip joint muscles (hamstrings,
gluteals, hip
flexors, quadriceps)
which because of their frequent inflexibility will place unwanted
stress on the lower back. Think of it this way - if you do not get
the motion from your legs, you will need to get it from somewhere.
Your back is where you will get stressed!
EXAMPLE:
 |
 |
| Figure
1: Hips are doing all the work while the lower back is stable
and safe |
Figure
2: Hips AND the lower back (which is twisting) are doing
the work leaving the back at a greater risk for injury |
As your leg
swings forward and straightens, your foot will land on the heel.
The ankle should be flexed with toes pointed upward at about a 45
degree angle from the ground. Ideally, your toes should be pointed
straight. However, this is not always recommended because of the
many unique factors which will affect this (i.e. the architecture
of your knees, feet, muscle length, etc.). Do what is comfortable
and painfree, but know that your toes should be pointed straight
and that a physical therapist can often tell you why your foot is
not pointing straight.
As the body's
weight passes over the leading leg, the foot should roll forward
and push off from the toes to begin the next step. A strong push
will give you more momentum and power.
Try to visualize
your hips leading your legs and feet. Increasing the speed of your
hips will directly increase the speed of their legs. As your speed
increases, the increased use of the hips will cause your feet to
land in almost an exact straight line.
Safety
Considerations and Precautions for Walking
As always, safety
should be your number one priority with exercise.
- Wear comfortable
shoes with good support. Although "walking" shoes are
usually recommended for walking, "running" shoes will
last much longer and generally do not cost more. To find out how
to find the best running shoe, click here.
- Always walk
in a well-lit area. Do not wear a headset unless you know you
are in a safe place. Walk with a friend to help ensure your safety.
- Be sure the
ground surface you are walking on is soft and even. Stay away
from areas where there are small indents in the ground that can
cause an ankle sprain.
- Walk in an
area away from automobile traffic. The pollutants (carbon monoxide,
sulfur dioxide, ozone) commonly seen in high traffic areas will
negate any benefits of exercise you are getting by filling your
hard-working lungs with environmental contaminants.
- Avoid distractions
if you are walking on a treadmill to avoid injury. Keep your eyes
on the front of the treadmill to maintain a point of reference
and be sure to use the "kill" switch that shuts the
machine off if you begin to fall.
References:
1.
Rippe JM, Ward A, Porcari JP, Freedson PS: Walking for health and
fitness. JAMA 1988 May 13;259(18):2720-4.
2. Morris JN, Hardman AE: Walking to health. Sports Med 1997 May;23(5):306-32.
3. Kasch FW, Boyer JL, Schmidt PK: Ageing of the cardiovascular
system during 33 years of aerobic exercise. Age Ageing 1999 Oct;28(6):531-6.
4. Jones TF, Eaton CB: Cost-benefit analysis of walking to prevent
coronary heart disease. Arch Fam Med 1994 Aug;3(8):703-10.
5. Clarkson-Smith L, Hartley AA: Relationships between physical
exercise and cognitive abilities in older adults. Psychol Aging
1989 Jun;4(2):183-9.
6. Fahrni WH: Back Ache: Assessment and Treatment. Evergreen Press,
Vancouver, 1978.
7. Hakim AA, Petrovitch H, Burchfiel CM: Effects of walking on mortality
among nonsmoking retired men. N Engl J Med 1998 Jan 8;338(2):94-9.
8. Jones AM, Doust JH: A 1% treadmill grade most accurately reflects
the energetic cost of outdoor running. J Sports Sci 1996 Aug;14(4):321-7.
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