Walking is a sport enjoyed by millions across the country. However, one drawback of walking is that it must be performed for a long duration to result in significant calorie burning. For example, a 150-pound woman who walks at two and one half miles per hour burns about 200 calories in a 1-hour walk. Although any exercise is better than none, it would take about a month to lose only 1 pound of fat if you walked 4 times a week. Many would give up and lose motivation long before much weight loss was accomplished. The ideal exercise regimen would burn many more calories, yet retain the low-impact nature of traditional walking.
Power walking is such a sport.
Power walking is very similar to traditional walking with two major distinctions. Power walking is performed at a much quicker pace and it utilizes strong-arm action to help with forward momentum. Imagine the typical walk that people do at the airport when they are late for their flight. That's the pace to maintain for power walking. Obviously, it will take some time to build up to this level of endurance, but the benefits of power walking are great.
Power walking is low-impact just like regular walking and has a very low injury rate. The real advantage of power walking is the calorie-burning effect. For example, power walking at 4 miles per hour burns about 350 calories per hour. This almost doubles the rate of calorie burning compared to walking without any additional injury risk.
Power walking also helps with more than weight loss it increases longevity. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (Hakim et al. 338:94-99, 1998) reported that the risk of death is lowered by 19% for each mile walked per day and that brisk walking is more beneficial than slower walking. Power walking offers a number of other health benefits including:
- Lower risk of heart disease
- Lower risk of certain cancers
- Lower stroke risk
- Better blood chemistry profile (higher HDL and lower LDL cholesterol)
- Improved bone density
- Better mood
- Better cognition and lower dementia risk
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that aerobic walking such as power walking should be performed 3 to 5 times a week for 40 to 60 minutes at a time to achieve these health benefits.
As with any activity, long-term compliance is necessary to reap the most health benefits. Although power walking has a very low injury rate, it is possible to suffer injury, which could force time off of your feet. The most common power walking injuries are to the foot, ankle, and knee. Shin splints can also occur when making to transition from regular walking to power walking. Stretching the hamstrings and calves as well as wearing walking shoes with adequate heel and forefoot cushioning can help. In addition, walking mileage should be increased by no more than ten percent each week. Walkers who increase mileage by 20% each week have 3 times the injury rate as those who stay below the 10% threshold.
If you are taking the time to put together a power-walking program for yourself, it also makes sense to pay attention to your diet as well. A diet rich in foods that provide natural whole food vitamins is simply the best option. While many supplement their diets with daily vitamin supplements of all sorts, nutrition derived from whole foods is best for the body. If seeking additional supplementation choose concentrated natural supplements such as organic aloe vera juice .
Overall, power walking is an ideal activity for many people. It is intense enough to get a great cardiovascular workout, it burns many calories, no special equipment is needed other than a good pair of shoes, and it is low-impact with low injury rates. Power walking is the only known activity known that offers this rare combination of benefits.
Dr. Linda Kennedy MS SLP ND
