News You Can Use

Walking offers easy step for keeping January resolutions

University Relations
News Bureau (662) 325-3442
Contact: Abby Barber
Feb. 13, 2003

STARKVILLE, Miss.--Looking for a simple but effective way for keeping that New Year’s resolution to shape up? Putting one foot in front of the other is a good step.

“Walking not only is the least stressful exercise on your bones and joints, but it is also fairly easy to do,” says Mississippi State exercise physiologist Joseph A. Chromiak. “All you need is a good pair of shoes and some comfortable exercise clothes.”

The university teacher and researcher says exercise derived from walking has been proven to help reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease, blocked arteries and heart attacks. “You may even lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels that previously were high,” he adds.

By expending calories and reducing body fat, a regular walking schedule also can contribute to weight loss and improved body composition. Chromiak recommends beginning with a minimum goal of 20 minutes, then working up to an ideal of 40-60 minutes.

“You burn roughly 100 calories for every mile you walk,” he says. “It is possible to lose more than one-half a pound a week by walking four miles a day over a five-to-six-day period.”

Chromiak offers the following walking tips:

--If over 40 years old, overweight or never having participated in an exercise program, check first with a physician before beginning.

--Patience is key to a successful program. Though weight loss will be more gradual than with other exercise efforts, walkers must be prepared to stick with the regimen in order to see the benefits.

--The more calories burned, the greater the benefits. To do this, try working up to a brisk pace that results in harder breathing and increased heart rate.

--Should strenuous exercise begin to cause pain in the joints, cut back to an appropriate, but still effective, level.