While speaking with a relative earlier this month, I found myself sounding rather negative about walking. Don’t get me wrong—walking is fabulous exercise. But please beware that it won’t help in some areas extremely important to Baby Boomers and seniors.
Walking is most popular physical activity is the U.S. It requires no expensive equipment, can be done indoors or out, alone or with friends. It’s a superb cardiovascular activity, increasing the heart rate and engaging large muscle groups for prolonged periods of time. This type of movement is extremely beneficial for maintaining fitness; a brisk walk helps fulfill the government’s recommendation for 2-1/2 hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity.
There are many benefits of walking (this list is not all-inclusive):
- Helps control risk for type 2 diabetes
- Prevents early death in people who have had heart attacks or strokes
- Sparks your brain to develop new connections, and helps stave off memory decline
- Decreases cortisol levels—a 30-minute leisurely walk in nature decreases levels of this stress hormone, helping control weight
But both muscle and bone mass decrease with age, and walking WILL NOT:
- Build muscle size for stronger legs
- Strengthen bones
To build muscle mass (and therefore strength), one needs consistent and progressively more strenuous weight training to stress the muscles. As muscle fibers repair, they become larger and stronger. Weight-bearing activities also increase bone mass. Simply walking doesn’t provide the type of stimulus needed for these processes.
Bottom line? Keep walking—it’s great for your heart and your head! But be sure to add strength-building exercises to your weekly routine:
- Squats, lunges, dead lifts and calf raises
- Machine-based exercises—leg curls and leg presses
- Complete 2 – 3 sets of 12 – 15 repetitions for each exercise, at least twice a week
- Increase the weight level after a few weeks
For more information about strength training for Baby Boomers and seniors, check out my blog Strength Training After 50.