How Fast Should You Walk?
Professor James O. Hill popularized the 10,000 step phenomenon - an idea that became an initiative of sorts, encouraging people to get at least 10,000 steps each day. Pedometers became popular gadgets, flying off of store shelves and making their way into boxes of Frosted Flakes (I won't go there).
So we know approximately how many steps we need, but how fast we should be taking those steps to keep fit?
At least 100 per minute, say researchers.
Researchers at San Diego State University found that a pace of 100 steps a minute or more was enough for the workout to be considered of moderate intensity. This equates to a minimum of 3000 steps in 30 minutes.
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I have to say I have always liked the 10,000 steps idea. The concept of just getting up and moving around more can only help improve your health. I feel that this study adds another dimension to the "get more steps" philosophy - setting a "pace" goal.
For the masses of deconditioned people, I doubt you'll find a better combination of simplicity and effectiveness.
Great idea, but prioritize
As highly supportive I am of the idea of walking more and walking faster, putting a major dent in fat loss efforts will requires a more multi-pronged approach.
Walking should be towards the bottom of the priority hierarchy, with consistent focus on healthy eating and resistance training taking precedence. That said, walking should take priority over Grey's Anatomy, Texas Hold 'em and X-Box.
Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Volume 36, Issue 5 (May 2009)
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I can appreciate this study but its more complicated than simply aiming to walk at a brisk pace where your heart rate becomes elevated. I'll never count my steps. I work with numbers all day. Then I'm supposed to take a lunchtime walk break and count numbers some more? No thanks.
ReplyYou just take a quick glance at your pedometer - it counts them for you. Most American adults only walk 2000-4000 steps a day.
It's a neat motivational device. I got mine for $24 dollars three years ago. Probably no need to pay more.
Pedometers are not all created equal. Maybe Mike Howard can recommend some brands to us. Or check Consumer Reports.
-Steve
ReplyI definitely think walking is a good thing if it gets people moving & off the couch. Once out there, if someone starts losing weight, then there is motivation to continue & improve & eat healthier.
I absolutely agree on the pedometer. A good motivational tool too as people can see how many steps they walked & it may motivate them to walk more if they see they are not doing as much as they thought they were or push them to want to do more!
People usually think they are exercising more & eating less than they really are so tools to help them measure this is a good thing!
ReplyI'm not against pedometers either, but for me, I just don't want it. My lunchtime walk has more to do with loosening up from the desk job (I get rusty sitting all day) and allowing my mind to relax for an hour before getting back to the grind. That's healthy too. Putting on a pedometer would screw up the walking bliss.
ReplyFYI, a pace of 100 steps per minute is the same beat as the Bee Gee's tune, "Stayin' Alive."
-Steve
ReplyHaha, nice. Now we even have the song to go along with it. Music and steps in perfect harmony.
ReplyThanks Steve, I like this idea, makes it real easy to hum a few bars and see how I'm doing. Of course it also depends on whether you're doing hill walking and whether you're carrying a backpack of any kind.
ReplyGreat article... BUT walking should be first on the priority list. In working with clients, it is amazing to see how eating well, saying no to temptations, and taking care of themselves better falls into place as a result of getting more active.
Walking makes me crave salad! OK, not quite... but people eat better and feel better on days they are more active.
Not to mention, health benefits mainly come from being more active... with only some benefits coming from weight loss itself. In fact, weight loss without activity does little for health at all.
ReplyI view walking as a way to get my system up and cranking - for real exercise (for me, mind you), I'll do the strength training.
That being said, when I was 50+ pounds overweight, I viewed walking as the ultimate in workouts. That was the best I could do, and back then, it was perfect for me. Everything in its own time and place.
ReplyI don't keep track of my steps, but I walk with a very tall friend who walks so quickly, I can barely keep up! Within the first ten minutes, I'm breaking a major sweat! Maybe find a tall friend! :)
ReplyI have been walking on my treadmill for 6 months or so now and i walk at 3mph at a 7% incline and i just counted my steps and it seems to be exactly 100 steps a minute.
ReplyI used a pedometer for most of last year, and it provided the input I needed to boost my level of physical activity to an appropriate level and be consistent about it. I realized that all the exercise I thought I'd been doing really didn't amount to much, and that taking 45-60 minutes to walk the dog--no matter how busy I was--made a huge difference. I realized that 30-minutes walks at lunch added up, too. After three months of dog walks, I graduated to dog walks with running intervals. (Strength training is in the mix, too, but unrelated to the pedometer.) I am dedicated to maintaining this level of activity now that I've developed the habit and reaped the rewards, and regular exercise is part of my lifestyle that I'd be very cranky to miss. So I haven't been motivated to put in a new battery and recalculate my pedometer because I no longer think it would add value to my life, but I'm looking for someone to donate it to and inspire them to get moving!
ReplyBased on your hectic life with kids & such AND your other exercise, I totally get that! Your walk is just to unwind & that is a good thing!
For people using the lunch hour to be part of their main exercise or the day, a pedometer is a good thing though.
ReplyAnd what a coincidence. I chose today to decide that I'm bored with lunchtime walking. But my job's building has a killer stairwell. Stair climbing may prove to be a nice alternative to mix it up a bit.
ReplyAND your butt & legs will definitely get benefit from that!
ReplyI have mixed feelings about the whole walking thing. On one hand, walking is great exercise for people that are used to sitting on their behinds all day and get no physical activity at all. On the other hand, simply walking 20 minutes a day and counting that as your main form of exercise isn't going to do it if you want to lose significant weight. And I'm fairly sure the majority of people out there who consider walking their main form of exercise do NOT walk at a pace of 100 steps/minute. To me, that's quite a bit faster than just your leisurely walking pace.
When I started to get healthy and lose weight, I was a very sedentary person and my only exercise was walking to class around campus. I decided to add a mile of walking per day to see if I could increase my stamina a bit. Once I was up to about 4 miles a day, I started to add running intervals into the mix and that's when I really started noticing some results when it came to my weight .
Replyi don't know what i'm doing wrong. i walk on the treadmill 30-50 mins a day at an average speed of 4.0 mph and with the incline all the way up most of that time. i eat less than 1,000 calories a day (my wt is 145 and i'm 5'6 29 yrs old). the scale is not budging. i've been this weight for 2 months. i eat healthy and barely eat any carbs let alone bad carbs. i'm very frustrated and about to give up.
Replyput most of your efforts towards weight training. Your body will change and you will notice a huge difference in how you look and how you feel. You may not lose as much as you would like, but you will definitely firm up, tone up, slim down, and your physique will become dy-no-mite! Try it for three months.
Replythanks for your reply. it has been really getting me down. i will definitely try some weight training. i'm not trying to lose alot of weight, i would be happy just slimming down and mostly toning. can u suggest any excercises? i can't afford a gym membership right now and rely on things i can do without any fancy equipment. thanks alot for the info.
ReplyShana -
ReplyMy first thought is that you're not eating enough.
yeah, i think that's the problem too. i recently have been eating more smaller meals throughout the day and actually lost 1.5 lbs this week. it's wierd. and i have more energy. sometimes i just get frustrated and don't know how to eat, especially after not losing.
ReplyMany times i tried a lot to loose weight but but my eating habits affected it all ways. looking for fat loss diet product.
Reply