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Slow walks burn more calories
A slower than normal walk may offer obese men and women a better
bang for their buck when it comes to burning calories avoiding
knee injuries.
Researchers found that obese people who walk at a slower pace burn
more calories than when they walk at normal pace.In
addition,walking at a slower, 2-mile-per -hour paces reduces the
sress on the knee joints by up to 25% compared with walking at a
brisk 3-mile per hour pace.
The message is that walking more slowly,obese individuals can burn
more calories per mile and may reduce the risk of arthritis or
joint injury,in a news release.
In the study,researchers tested 20 men and 20 women on treadmills
and sidewalks to see how many calories they burned walking at
different speeds.They also determined their posture while walking.
Half of the participants were obese and half were of normal
weights.
Researchers found that the obese people burned more calories when
walking at the same speed as normal-weight walkers.
This may be because obese people usually heavier legs and wider
stances,which causes them to swing their legs out more,making
walking more work for obese people. They also say obesity leads to
postural instability,so obese people require more muscles during
walking to compensate.
They also found that normal-pace walking significantly increased
forces on the knee by about 25% compared with slower walking,which
could lead to joint injuries or arthritis.
Therefore,the researchers say that obese people gain a net
benefit—burning calories plus decreasing joint stress—by walking
slower than normal. Walking slowly for a longer period of time
slightly increases the number of calories burned, they add.
They suggest that walking 2 miles an hour may be more beneficial
for obese people than a more normal pace of 3 miles an hour.
Although walking slowly may help obese men and women burn calories
more efficiently,researchers say walking slowly does not offer
much in the way of cardiovascular benefits. Therefore,they advise
a combination of walking slowly and other vigorous low-impact
activities,such as swimming,cycling,and elliptical training
workouts for optimum health.
