by Norah faith

Created on: March 20, 2009

"A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world." ~Paul Dudley White

Some health experts say that walking is the best exercise you can do. Walking has been recommended by doctors, trainers, and health experts, for centuries now. Here are some of the benefits you get with walking:

Burns calories causing weight loss

Lowers blood pressure

Works the heart and removes bad cholesterol from it

Eases stress and tension

Tones your body

How to Walk

Walking is something we learn to do as a baby and within a year we have pretty much mastered it. It doesn't take any classes or videos to walk. No training is needed. It is simple, walk. Just walk like you do when you go to the store, class, the car or anywhere you go. As long as you are not experiencing any pain from your walking then you are fine. If pain does occur, you should see your doctor.

Walking Versus Running

Dr. Dean Ornish, a clinical professor of Medicine at UC San Francisco says:

"All things being equal, you will burn more calories by running an hour than walking an hour. It is true that walking a mile will burn more calories than running a mile - although it takes longer to do so. When you run a mile, you're burning mostly sugar, or carbohydrates, which is how your body gives you fast energy in bursts. When you walk a mile, it gives your metabolism time to switch from burning carbohydrates to burning fat."
Though running burns more calories an hour, walking is much easier on the joints and the calories you burn are the fat calories that you are looking to get rid of. The pressure of your body pounding on the ground when you run can actually hurt you, depending on your weight and the shape your body is in. Anyone, of any weight or physical condition, can walk. If you run at a speed of 5 mph for 30 minutes you will burn approximately 285 calories. You can achieve this by walking 4 mph for 30 minutes at a 7% incline. Running also can be hard on your heart if you are not fit enough.

How Fast Should I Walk?

You should walk at a quick pace but not too fast. A good way to test yourself is to talk while you walk. If you can not speak full sentences without stopping for a breath then you are walking too fast. After you begin walking on a regular basis you will want to set goals and monitor your heart beat.

Setting Goals

When exercising, you should always set goals. If you are trying to lose weight and burn calories then you should calculate these

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