The next step: aerobic walking. (includes related information)

THE NEXT STEP: AEROBIC WALKING

Slowly but surely you gained strength and with that came confidence. Time passed, and you progressed to walking three miles in about 45 minutes - considered by most to be a "brisk" walking pace. The speed and distance cause you no undue stress, and your heart rate hardly reaches the 60% mark of your training range. You are feeling more fit than you ever have before, and you are looking for more of an exercise challenge to increase your cardiovascular fitness. Your doctor is pleased with your progress and your enthusiasm and has given you the green light, but your dilemma is choosing the right exercise for the best results.

WHICH EXERCISE IS RIGHT?

Guess what? You may not know it, but ... you are already doing the right exercise! You just need to know more about a "kind" of walking called fitness walking or aerobic walking. You, like most other Americans think "walking" is ... well, you know ... "walking!" Walking is the way we get from one place to another.

Animal locomotion studies from Harvard University's Department of Comparative Zoology reveals that all animals, including humans, become more energy efficient as they move from a slower gait to a faster gait. If you have ever ridden a horse you know exactly what this means - as the horse speeds up, the walk becomes a bone-jarring trot which burns a great deal of energy and the trot gives rise to the fluid smoothness of the lope or canter which moves the animal and rider faster with much less energy …