If You Walk for Fitness – Read This
I often ask people what they do for exercise and many respond with… “Oh I walk and try to get in my steps every day”. Then I ask them when they do their walking and a common response is after dinner when I walk the dog or take a stroll with my spouse. The problem with walking is that it has been promoted by mainstream America as THE way to maintain health for seniors and those who don’t like to exercise. To a large extent, that may be true, but if you aren’t doing it correctly, you may be shortchanging yourself.
Is Walking Good For You?
The bottom line is yes! Walking is good for you. BUT, there are dangers associated with walking that you might not have thought about. The CDC recommends that adults get at least 2 and 1/2 hours (150 minutes) a week of aerobic physical activity. This should be at a moderate level, such as a fast-paced walk for no less than 10 minutes at a time. I think it is obvious that many people walk (which is good!) but they don’t push themselves to set a pace that is really helping them aerobically. The danger here is that you think you are doing enough to maintain your health, but in reality you should be doing much more. Now, don’t stop walking, but you need to up your game if you aren’t walking fast enough. How do you know if you’re walking fast enough? Take the Rockport Walk Test to see how you measure up. The Rockport Walk Test is a timed 1 mile walk, as fast as you can go, without jogging. You can look up your time in a chart based on age, and determine how fit you are.
Other Considerations
Posture
I was out walking this morning (yes I walk!) and a gentleman in his 60s or 70s passed me walking the other way. I almost stopped him to give him some advice but thought better of it. After all, he was out walking – so kudos for that! However, his shoulders were hunched over, he was looking at the ground and his pace was far less than brisk. Now, being 65 myself, I get that as we get older, we get slower. However, he looked like he could do more and I’m certain his posture was not doing him any favors after he got home. In fact, he could end up having more muscle imbalances if he continues to walk this way. What is the proper way to walk? There is a great article at Very Well Health and here is a summary:
- Walking posture: Level hips, no slouching
- Arm motion: Bent elbows and a natural arm swing
- Foot motion: Roll from heel to toe
- Walking stride: Push off with your rear foot, don’t over stride
Keeping Your Bones and Muscles Healthy
You should pat yourself on the back if you’re out walking, and congratulating yourself if you’re doing it correctly! However, don’t be lured into the danger of a false sense of security. Walking alone will not give you the best chance of aging properly. In addition to walking you need to consider how you are going to keep your bones and muscles strong. Basically, if you don’t use it, you lose it! In addition to walking you need to incorporate resistance training into your routine that has been shown to help keeping both your bones and muscles healthy. This becomes super critical as you get older to aid you in fall prevention and also to increase your chances of surviving a fall intact! There are many different types of resistance training (body weight, isometrics, resistance bands, free weights, weight machines) and you should start a program based on your current level of fitness.
Agility and Balance
In addition to walking and resistance training, you should also consider agility and balance training. This becomes critical as you begin to age to maintain your ability to live an active life and also to prevent falls as you get into your 60s. Whatever your age, the time to start this training is now! As I mentioned, I am 65 and I have noticed a decline in my agility over the past 10 years. Luckily, I added agility exercises to my routines and noticed a significant improvement in just a few months.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is this. Walking is good for you. However, the danger lies in thinking that is all that you need to stay fit. Take the time to walk correctly and expand your routines to include resistance, agility and balance training. You won’t regret it.