Deciding to become a little more active than you are right now leads to improvements in your health and outlook on life. It’s easy to increase your walking amounts, since you already do it throughout the day. But how much more should you do? How often should you do it? How fast should you go? For how long? These walking FAQs are important to consider when building a walking exercise program.
The FIT formula – Frequency (how often), Intensity (how fast) and Time (how long) – helps you find answers. When you do any physical activity, start at a low level and increase slowly. This goes for walking amounts, as well. Doing too much too fast can lead to injuries that set you back instead of move you forward. When you’re ready to increase your activity, alter just one part of the FIT formula at a time.
“That way, if trouble begins, such as pain in the knee, it is easier to tell which component of the exercise program caused the problem,” says Sharon Hame, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine. “Then the problem can easily be corrected and another area of the program advanced.”
TO START: If you can tolerate only a five-minute walk, then start by walking just five minutes two or three days per week, maybe as slow as one mile per hour. If you already walk occasionally but want to start a walking exercise regimen, walk at least 10 minutes to 15 minutes while maintaining 2 mph or 3 mph, three days per week.
TO INCREASE: Every four to six weeks, bump up your frequency a notch by adding one more day per week. In two months, your walking amounts should increase – you should be walking four or five days per week – even if you don’t increase how fast or how long you walk. When you’re ready to make a second increase, choose either to walk the same distance faster or walk a few minutes longer at your usual pace.
If your joints hurt when you walk longer, it’s okay to move slower while you adjust to your walking exercise regimen. Remember that it’s not cheating to drop down to an easier level for a while. In fact, a recent study showed that walking at a 2 mph pace still burns calories while producing 25 percent less stress on knees. Lowering your intensity is preferred over decreasing frequency or not moving at all. “I always advise my patients to continue an exercise program but modify it to limit pain and discomfort,” says Dr. Hame.
You know when you need to slow down and when your body can “go the extra mile.” Adjust your intensity and the length of your walk, as necessary, while maintaining your frequency and you may find you’re walking faster and longer – and reaping more health benefits – before you know it.
