Ask the Coach
Walking for health Hey, Coach! What is the best speed to use when walking?
How do you know that you are going to fast or too slow?
Can’t we get injured if we walk too fast?
Signed…Rapid Fire
Dear Rapid Fire: While there are many ways to answer your questions, the “best speed” depends on the person and his/her goals.
With that said, the Coach believes beginning walkers should be encouraged to walk for distance and not get too concerned with speed.
All readers should know that the Department of Health now recommends 60 minutes of aerobic activity/exercise on most days of the week (5), so let’s use 60 minutes in this example.
Of course, if you don’t have an hour, 45, 30 or even 15 minutes is better than nothing. Please know that while a casual 60-minute stroll has benefits (beyond physical), this type of walk is not intense enough to qualify as an aerobic activity.
– For a 20-year-old, the heart rate needs to reach approximately 140 beats a minute.
– For a 40-year-old, it’s about 125 BPM.
– For a 60-year-old, it’s about 110 BPM.
Thus, to give yourself a chance to get into the “target zone,” (220 — age times 70 percent), we really need to push ourselves to have a chance at reaching those types of numbers.
To be forthright, the way that most of us walk, we do not reach the target zone.
The pace needed to reach the target zone depends on many factors, and getting a little out of breath is a good thing.
On the other hand, some may offer that you would be walking too fast if unable to carry on a conversation while walking with a partner.
Also, walking fast won’t necessarily hurt you unless you over-stride.
Of course, an appropriate warm-up is always recommended, along with a cool- down and then static stretching.
To conclude, what’s the best speed could mean a lot of things, and an appropriate answer would depend on what one is attempting to accomplish.
When in doubt, push a little and go for it.
As always, before starting any exercise program, please consult with your primary care physician.
Losing weight
Hey, Coach! What is the best way to lose weight if you don’t have time to exercise for an hour on most days of the week?
Also, what activity burns the most calories?
Signed….Ready to Work
Dear Ready to Work: Addressing your first question, if we are unable to engage in physical activity, then it stands to reason that we shouldn’t eat nearly as much.
With that said, the Coach’s intuition tells him that you may have been looking for a different type of answer.
Regarding great calorie burners, all of these rate high on the chart when done in an intense manner: bicycling, boxing, rowing, canoeing, kayaking, running, skating, cross- country skiing and jumping rope.
Please know that the amount of calories we burn is affected by our body weight, the intensity of our workouts, our conditioning level and our metabolism.
Again, we need to have enough discipline to make time for ourselves to engage in 60 minutes of intense cardio activities on most days of the week.
To have a more complete fitness program, we need to include strength training and static stretching.
Coach’s Comments: Opportunity is many times missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
Thank you for inviting the Coach to be a part of your day.
Have a safe weekend.
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You can contact the Coach via email at askthecoach2003@yahoo.com.