[JessIsOK]

Hi guys, I have a question about walking and knew this was the place to come for an answer. )

My question is, is more distance better? Or is more intensity better? Should I walk 5 miles taking my time or 2 miles working hard?

Thanks for your assistance!!

[clkchef]

If you are looking for cardiovascular benefit and calorie burn you are better off going a shorter distance at a more intense pace and then work up to longer distances at an intense pace.

Basically it boils down to this, if you aren't sweating you aren't working hard enough.

I know - there are a million people allergic to the word 'sweat' and they'll swear they never sweat. You do if you are working hard enough. Unless you were born without sweat glands, you will sweat if your body is working hard enough!

Carole

[JessIsOK]

Carole--

I'm definitely NOT allergic to the word sweat, believe me. In fact, when I walked yesterday, I was surprised to find that I could still sweat in the rain. (Usually I use the rain as an excuse to stay home). Thanks for your response!!

[wcolleen]

If you want to mix things up a bit, try interval training (basically, do two minutes at a more comfortable pace, then speed it up or walk up a hill for one minute. Keep alternating moderate-paced walking with faster spurts). It really works up a sweat! I recently started jogging during my one-minute spurts- but walking more quickly is good, too!

[Carnation]

I have a little different slant on this topic - so here goes: I walk because I have degenerative arthritis and need to build muscle mass around my damaged joints. Impact, as in walking fast or jogging, is absolutely out as an option. So, as I started losing weight, I added distance. This really works for me. When I first started walking, I could not make it around the block without stopping to rest. Now I walk 3 miles daily either indoors when the weather is bad, or on a route I mapped out by car to check the miles.

So it really depends on why you are walking as to the right answer for you. I won't ever get into a true cardio mode because my joints can't take the strain. But I can do the distance.

Hope this helped some...Carleen...