I found this interesting from Dr. Weil's web site...here is the link... http://www.drweil.com/u/Page/Archive147/#1

Nutrition and Lifestyle News: Strolling May Burn More Calories Than Brisk Walking...

But only if you’re obese. Results of a small study published in the May 2005 issue of Obesity Research and conducted at the University of Colorado at Boulder found that obese adults burn more calories per mile when they stroll than when they walk at a faster pace. What’s more, the researchers say that a more leisurely pace can benefit the obese more than the brisk walking usually recommended as exercise for former couch potatoes by easing stress on the joints, thus lowering the risk of arthritis and injuries. The Colorado researchers studied 20 obese men and women and 20 men and women of normal weight as they walked a specified course at different speeds. The investigators found that the obese burned more calories when they walked at a slower pace for a longer period than they did when they walked briskly. The same team also found that, when performing identical exercises, obese individuals burned only 10 percent more calories than normal weight subjects did even though their weight was much more than 10 percent higher.

Thanks for posting this, Sandi! I wish they'd given a link to the actual study at Dr. Weil's site. I imagine that the reference to going "longer" at a reduced pace explains the increased caloric expenditure. Folks in the study could probably walk much longer at a strolling pace than at a brisk pace, so ultimately they would burn more calories overall as a result. I think if you've got limited time, and can physically do it, walking briskly is going to be much better for you since you'll accomplish and burn more within that finite timeframe. But if time is not an issue, then walking leisurely for, say, 2 hours straight would beat out a 30 minute brisk walk! Just my .02!

The mere 10% increase in caloric burn over normally weighted folks surprised me though!

Well, the whole thing kind of baffled me too, that's why I posted it. Here is another article about it that has some more detail.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0616061516.htm

Very Interesting

I think it is really good that they have done this study because I'll bet there are a lot of obese people who think that if they are not doing some kind of vigorous exercise like jogging that it isn't worth the bother at all.

Sandi, that was SO INTERESTING!!! You're so cool to dig deeper and get more info! The things you learn.....

And aren't humans just so fascinating? Our powers of adaptation, and constant, unconscious physical economizing.....man, we're just amazing creatures! (And here I thought my dog was the cleverest, wisest creature! Oh wait -- he still is! )