Aug 18, 2023
This episode of walking tips is purely responses to our communities’ questions. and WOW did you have a lot of them? So let’s dive right in. In case you landed here first, you may also want to go back one episode and listen to the podcast I released about the benefits of walking that is full of research statistics that will blow you away… or at least out the door on a walk.
Cardiovascular Fitness Walking Tips
How fast should you walk to make it
cardio?
This is completely unique to an individual.
Your heart rate and breathlessness or ability to talk at any speed
will be different than mine or any other person’s. So it’s perhaps
better to identify the goal. Your heart benefits from walking,
period. Exercise intensity is measured in labs as METs. Your MET
level walking is far higher than your met level at rest. So you’re
already “cardio.”
Is walking just as effective as
jogging/running?
It depends. Effective for what? It’s
not the same as cardiovascular stress. It takes longer to achieve
the equivalent in energy expenditure or distance. It is the lower
impact which could be good unless you’re training for impact and
need it.
How much would I need to walk a week to
support a weightlifting routine for cardio?
This varies
based on your need and goal for cardiovascular fitness. All walking
improves heart health. What are your biggest goals? Then you can
determine what level of intensity you want or need.
Will I still gain any cardiovascular benefits
if I’m a slow walker?
You’re definitely getting the
benefits of circulation and blood sugar stabilization from walking
at any pace. And you benefit from cortisol reduction too. But also
want to be sure you’re not judging what may feel like a fast pace
to you because it’s slow to someone else. There is some evidence
that for weight-bearing exercise for bone density purposes, speeds
of greater than 3.3 mph are associated with bone benefit but slower
are not.
Tips for Improving Walking Effectiveness
Is 10,000 steps a day a good goal? 10K or 7K
optimal steps per day?
10,000 steps has been
popularized but not proven scientifically. In the recent podcast I
posted this week I referenced science about each 1000 over 4000
steps contributing to testosterone boost. And also to 8000 steps
boosting most significantly. But above 7000 or 8000 otherwise seem
to have diminishing returns.
How do you control breath and walking to
improve core? [What is] proper deep belly breathing that engages
pelvic floor/diaphragm when walking?
Keep in mind speed
and resistance will activate core. Overthinking core during walking
could be counterproductive. Instead, focus on posture. Practice
diaphragmatic breathing at rest first, before you attempt to do so
while exercising. If it becomes natural, you’ll simply be doing it
while you walk too.
Should I walk with weights?
No.
The risks outweigh the benefits unless you’re wearing a weighted
vest in training for an extreme event at altitude where you’ll be
carrying supplies or a pack. The risk as you swing.. either your
legs (if ankle weights) or your arms (hand or wrist weights) is
tension or significant torque on joints.
More Tips for Walking Effectiveness and Comfort
How to prevent tightness in hip/low back? What
would cause lower back pain while walking?
Lower back
pain can be prevented with improvements in walking posture. Imagine
a tall posture, leaning forward from the ankles. The biggest
mistake is made leaning from the waist.
Your fascia – the layer of ligamentous tissue covering your muscles
– essentially stiffens. Change the gait or stop and stretch
periodically.
Find warmups at my Youtube channel.
Long strides or short?
Yes! Based
on the previous response, you want to mix it up.
Best posture while walking up a hill? Saving
our knees?
I’m not sure these are the same question or
separate, so I may misinterpret in my response. You maintain the
same forward angle from the ankle as when on a flat. Avoid bending
forward from the waist or the neck.
Best walking routine to burn the most fat in a shorter
period of time?
This one completely depends! If you
want to burn fat you have to be in an optimal cortisol and insulin
dance. I could tell you a routine that for someone would support
fat burning but for you might encourage fat storage or adrenal
fatigue.
For Osteoporosis – [This question is not quite
clear but doing my best]
Walk, but don’t only walk. We
are mobile during the day so more of the same load doesn’t overload
bone enough to add more stimulus.
Is Walking Causing Problems?
I feel tight in my upper calf and behind my
knee. So much that it is painful to squat. What to
do?
I would consider how long you’ve been experiencing
it. If it’s longer than a couple weeks, you’ve reduced any stress
you’re putting on it and it’s not improving then I would get a
physical therapy injury screen and see what they suggest
doing.
If we’re doing some strength and HIIT weekly,
how does walking impact our cortisol levels?
Generally,
very well. You’re reducing cortisol with walking. Unless you’re
trying to turn everything into work and something hard, you’ll be
rewarded.
Always get knee pain after walking, otherwise
a very active and fit person.
There may be a little
wear and tear stress you’re experiencing from the repetitive joint
actions over and over walking that you don’t in other activities.
It may be biomechanics for you are just making it not something
that works as well for you.
Is It true If you keep your pace brisk, at the
threshold of wanting to break Into a run, you burn more
calories?
It is true that if you can fast walk vs slow
jog you may expend more energy fast walking than slow jogging. Do
realize that the value of walking may not be about the calories
burned however, but the positive result on hormones. That pace that
burns more calories may in fact burn you out. It’s important to
know whether you need to burn more calories… or if you first need
to remove cortisol.
How to Make Walking More Beneficial with These Tips
Can you break walks into shorter sessions for
the same benefit?
What’s your reason for walking?
Endurance or something else? If your priority is reducing blood
sugar and insulin resistance, walking 15 minutes after meals three
times a day is more beneficial than walking 45 minutes in the
morning or afternoon. So if weight loss is your goal short walks
after meals may be best. The recent previous episode on walking
lists the benefits of various walking lengths and timing.
Walking with a bad hip?
Without
knowing more It’s hard to offer help. Walking with a bad hip in
some cases could make it worse if this is dysplasia or causing
friction in the joint capsule. I’d see a physical therapist or an
orthopedic surgeon if you don’t know why the hip is “bad.”
Why do I always get shin
splints?
Is it shin splints? What is more common and
mistaken as shin splints is muscle fatigue in the anterior tibialis
muscle. Start with shorter walks. You pull your toe up more
dramatically and repeatedly while walking. If you’re walking
uphill, you do that more so.
Should I stretch after walking?
If
you’re losing mobility or range of motion, the best time to stretch
so you can improve it is after any movement when your core
temperature is elevated. Muscles are more pliable.
Need more walking tips? Share your questions with me in the Flipping 50 Insiders group
Resources:
Hot, Not Bothered Challenge: https://www.flippingfifty.com/hnb-challenge/
Other Episodes You Might Like:
What Does ONE workout Do to Your Body? | Women Over 50: https://www.flippingfifty.com/one-workout/
What Happens to Your Body During a Workout?: https://www.flippingfifty.com/your-body-during-a-workout/