{"id":31905,"date":"2013-04-24T21:22:13","date_gmt":"2013-04-24T21:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?p=31905"},"modified":"2017-04-27T08:12:31","modified_gmt":"2017-04-27T13:12:31","slug":"walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/","title":{"rendered":"Walking is as Good as Running – Pick Up the Pace"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"walking\"<\/a>Many times at my lectures and seminars, I ask members of the audience for examples of aerobic exercise. \u00a0The majority of the time, the first answer is running or jogging. \u00a0When we hear the word fitness, we conjure up images of people running hard and sweating profusely. \u00a0We often think of top finishers in marathons crossing the finish line. \u00a0As beneficial as running is (and I used to put in more kilometers a week running than you can imagine), it has its down sides also. \u00a0The amount of effort needed to both build up to being a runner and to maintain running is significant. But the risk of injury to a runner is many times greater than many of the other forms of aerobic exercise. Running is an extremely efficient way to stay aerobically fit and yields fantastic results, but it isn\u2019t for everyone.<\/p>\n

Two studies were released a few weeks ago showing that many of the great benefits of running are also true of walking\u2014we just have to do it a little bit longer. \u00a0Aerobic exercise most days of the week is vital to our health and wellbeing. This is independent of the need to lose weight. \u00a0It makes no difference if a person is overweight, ideal weight, or even a little underweight, cardiovascular exercise will keep you healthy, enhance your quality of life and hopefully keep you out of the doctor\u2019s office. \u00a0We know that it reduces blood pressure, reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, increases your good cholesterol and decreases total cholesterol. Aerobic exercise decreases body fat stores and increases aerobic work capacity. \u00a0You will have increased heart function, reduction in mortality in post heart attack patients and it prevents type 2 diabetes. It even lowers the risk of dementia and Alzheimer. The risk of osteoporosis, gallstones and peripheral vascular disease will be decreased. \u00a0It lowers the risk of falls and 12 kinds of cancer. \u00a0Aerobic exercise is the single best predictor of not gaining back lost weight and it helps prevent lower back pain. In short, there is immense benefit and just about no down side. \u00a0And now we know that even enough moderate exercise like walking can do the trick.<\/p>\n

According to Paul Williams, PhD, of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, Calif., and Paul Thompson, MD, of Hartford Hospital in Hartford, Conn, spending the same amount of energy either running or walking yielded similar reductions in the risks of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. Analysis of two large cohorts suggested that runners usually expend about twice as much energy as walkers and therefore reap greater health benefit. (Williams and Thompson reported online in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology). “The more the runners ran and the walkers walked, the better off they were in health benefits,” Williams said in a statement. “If the amount of energy expended was the same between the two groups, then the health benefits were comparable.” “Walking may be a more sustainable activity for some people when compared to running,” he added. “However, those who choose running end up exercising twice as much as those who choose walking … probably because they can do twice as much in an hour.”<\/p>\n

Walking and running use similar muscles and similar motions. \u00a0What is different is the intensity. \u00a0But walking for more time and longer distances compensates for the lesser intensity. If you would run for 30 minutes, you might have to walk for 50-55 minutes to get the equivalent result. \u00a0You can choose to walk anywhere instead of driving or using public transportation. \u00a0And you can certainly get off the bus or train a stop or two earlier to get in 10 more minutes of walking. \u00a0Are you the type to drive around the block 10 times to find a close parking space or can you park three or four blocks away and walk a little more (and save time!).<\/p>\n

Obviously even within the walking, some intensity is needed. \u00a0A Shabbos stroll isn\u2019t what we have in mind, but again, just moderate intensity as long as you put in your time can do the trick. \u00a0Speed is one way to get the proper intensity, but going up hills or stairs is another. \u00a0Start at a comfortable pace, walking as though you are slightly late for an appointment. Use the \u201ctalk test.\u201d If you can\u2019t say your name three times in a row, you are pushing too hard. You should aim for a minimum of 3.5miles per hour (5.6 kph). For those of you who may want to work up to a power walk, you will want to eventually reach 4.5 mph (7.2 kph) or more. The recommended minimum time for walking is 30-40 minutes; however, if you are a beginner, start off slowly and gradually build up to that amount.<\/p>\n

Maintain good posture while you are walking and look straight ahead. Swinging your arms will increase your caloric burn greatly, but make sure your arms are going in a forward direction and not crossing in front of you. A good, sturdy pair of walking shoes is essential. Typically, shoes need to be replaced about every 400-500 miles of walking.<\/p>\n

The two biggest complaints people have that lead to not exercising are time and money. \u00a0Walking is free and you can fit it into your day. \u00a0Do it enough and achieve great health benefits. \u00a0You don\u2019t have to run in order to lower your risks of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. \u00a0And of course you will \u201cadd hours to your day, days to your year, and years to your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

\n

\"image\"<\/p>\n

Alan Freishtat<\/strong> is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a BEHAVIORAL CHANGE and WELLNESS COACH with over 19 years of professional experience. Alan is the creator and director of the \u201c10 Weeks to Health\u201d program for weight loss. He is available for private coaching sessions, consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs both in his office and by telephone and skype. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at\u00a002-651-8502<\/a> or 050-555-7175<\/a>, or by email at\u00a0alan@alanfitness.com<\/a> Check out the his web site \u2013www.alanfitness.com<\/a> US Line: 516-568-5027<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is walking the new running? Alan Freishtat explains how taking a daily stroll through the park can be as good as a jog on the treadmill.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":469,"featured_media":31906,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-physical-health"],"yoast_head":"\nWalking is as Good as Running - Pick Up the Pace - OU Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Walking is as Good as Running - Pick Up the Pace - OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Is walking the new running? Alan Freishtat explains how taking a daily stroll through the park can be as good as a jog on the treadmill.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"OU Life\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-04-24T21:22:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2017-04-27T13:12:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/walking.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"425\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"282\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Alan Freishtat\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Alan Freishtat\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/\",\"name\":\"Walking is as Good as Running - Pick Up the Pace - OU Life\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/walking.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-04-24T21:22:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-04-27T13:12:31+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/f1abe9e48d32d5a2a473e32020a2317f\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/walking.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/walking.jpg\",\"width\":425,\"height\":282},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/\",\"name\":\"OU Life\",\"description\":\"Everyday Jewish Living\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/f1abe9e48d32d5a2a473e32020a2317f\",\"name\":\"Alan Freishtat\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Alan-Freishtat_avatar-96x96.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Alan-Freishtat_avatar-96x96.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Alan Freishtat\"},\"description\":\"Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a BEHAVIORAL CHANGE and WELLNESS COACH with over 19 years of professional experience. Alan is the creator and director of the \u201c10 Weeks to Health\u201d program for weight loss. He is available for private coaching sessions, consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs both in his office and by telephone and skype. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@alanfitness.com Check out the his web site \u2013 www.alanfitness.com US Line: 516-568-5027\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/author\/alan_freishtat\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Walking is as Good as Running - Pick Up the Pace - OU Life","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Walking is as Good as Running - Pick Up the Pace - OU Life","og_description":"Is walking the new running? Alan Freishtat explains how taking a daily stroll through the park can be as good as a jog on the treadmill.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/","og_site_name":"OU Life","article_published_time":"2013-04-24T21:22:13+00:00","article_modified_time":"2017-04-27T13:12:31+00:00","og_image":[{"width":425,"height":282,"url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/walking.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Alan Freishtat","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Alan Freishtat","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/","name":"Walking is as Good as Running - Pick Up the Pace - OU Life","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/walking.jpg","datePublished":"2013-04-24T21:22:13+00:00","dateModified":"2017-04-27T13:12:31+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/f1abe9e48d32d5a2a473e32020a2317f"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/health\/walking-is-as-good-as-running-pick-up-the-pace\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/walking.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/walking.jpg","width":425,"height":282},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/","name":"OU Life","description":"Everyday Jewish Living","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/f1abe9e48d32d5a2a473e32020a2317f","name":"Alan Freishtat","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Alan-Freishtat_avatar-96x96.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/files\/Alan-Freishtat_avatar-96x96.jpg","caption":"Alan Freishtat"},"description":"Alan Freishtat is an A.C.E. CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER and a BEHAVIORAL CHANGE and WELLNESS COACH with over 19 years of professional experience. Alan is the creator and director of the \u201c10 Weeks to Health\u201d program for weight loss. He is available for private coaching sessions, consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs both in his office and by telephone and skype. Alan also lectures and gives seminars and workshops. He can be reached at 02-651-8502 or 050-555-7175, or by email at alan@alanfitness.com Check out the his web site \u2013 www.alanfitness.com US Line: 516-568-5027","url":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/author\/alan_freishtat\/"}]}},"acf":[],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/469"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31905"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57368,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31905\/revisions\/57368"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}