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Walk Yourself Fit? Yes You Can
By Christina | April 15, 2009
There is finally a way to measure if your walking pace is good enough for your fitness needs. I was actually conducting a workout class yesterday and sent the group off for a jog between weight sets and two of the participants set off walking. As I watched them saunter by I thought, “How can I tell if that’s “enough?” Well, someone has taken care of that for me.
A recent fitness study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that walkers who walk to keep in shape can maintain the intensity they need as long as they are taking at least 100 steps a minute. The researchers, led by Simon J. Marshall of San Diego State University, were able to measure their participants with pedometers worn on the shoes which are able to calculate their steps as they worked out on treadmills at different speeds. Additionally, they measured the participants’ heart rates to be aware of the intensity.
Apparently, although surely there are variable to consider, a pace of 100 steps a minute or more is enough for the workout to be considered of moderate intensity according to the government guideline that people engage in moderately intensive activity for at least 150 minutes a week, which can be accomplished with five 30-minute sessions.
Topics: Fitness Tips |
