| e throes of a hectic law career, I had become a | | | | meals, even if it's for only 15 minutes. Walking |
| workaholic. Then Tim, an old high-school friend, | | | | before a meal can actually depress your appetite |
| persuaded me to take a break. Together we | | | | and thus be an important factor in controlling your |
| planned a 250-mile walk down the New Jersey | | | | weight. |
| and Delaware coasts | | | | Walking is also becoming an increasingly popular |
| On Day 4 of the expedition, I called my office | | | | way to see the sights while traveling. Many |
| and announced that I was going to extend my | | | | guidebooks of major tourist areas now show |
| vacation a few more days. "you sound like a | | | | walking routes and estimate how long a particular |
| different person," my secretary said. By day 7 of | | | | tour will take. Walking is just the right speed for |
| the walk a remarkable strength and vigor had | | | | exploring, learning, getting impressions, meeting |
| come over me. | | | | people. It can even stimulate the thinking |
| Tim, meanwhile, was undergoing a dramatic | | | | processes by increasing the oxygen supply to the |
| transformation of his own. He was a chain | | | | brain. |
| smoker and normally went through two or three | | | | Aerobic walking. This is any style of walking done |
| packs a day. As we increased our daily walking | | | | with a speed, duration or effort to exercise the |
| distance from 18 to 25 miles, however, he | | | | heart. Heart/lung exercise consists of sustained |
| smoked fewer cigarettes, and before long he | | | | rapid breathing while moving your arms and legs |
| replaced the smoking habit with walking habit. | | | | for a least 15 minutes and ideally as long as 30 |
| What happened to the two of us is an example | | | | minutes, three times a week. Your training goal is |
| of what I call the natural powers of walking. By | | | | to rise your heartbeat to 70-85 percent of its |
| merely increasing the amount of daily walking | | | | maximum. |
| without regard to technique or exercise regimen | | | | Most forms of walking can be converted to |
| you can benefit greatly. | | | | aerobic exercise by maintaining a brisk pace, |
| Walking is the most efficient exercise for | | | | climbing an incline or mountain, or walking with a |
| improving overall fitness. It uses more muscles in | | | | backpack. |
| a continuous, uniform action than most other | | | | Depending on your level of conditioning, different |
| forms of exercise, and it remains accessible to | | | | walking styles, speeds and durations will help you |
| you throughout life. It is often used as an integral | | | | train aerobically. When you are in poor physical |
| part of medical programs to prevent heart-related | | | | condition, a speed of three m.p.h. for 15 to 30 |
| diseases and to rehabilitate those already stricken | | | | minutes may bring your heart into the training |
| with heart trouble. | | | | target zone. A walker in excellent condition may |
| If your walking muscles atrophy, your whole body | | | | require a speed of four to five m.p.h for 3o to 60 |
| atrophies. So you might as well Rive walking your | | | | minutes to reach his training target zone. |
| fullest attention; it's the best life-insurance policy | | | | Is a chart of target heart -rate ranges for age |
| you can get. The first step is to find the walking | | | | groups. Each range represents the heart- beats |
| routine that is best suited to you. (If you are | | | | per minute that will produce a training effect if |
| over 40, are on any medication, or have a history | | | | maintained for at least 15 minutes during any |
| of heart problems, check with your doctor before | | | | exercise period. |
| beginning a walking exercise program.) | | | | Measure your heart rate while walking. If you |
| Strolling. Perhaps the slowest form of walking, it's | | | | can't take your pulse while moving, stop in the |
| rated at one mile per hour. This is nothing to | | | | middle of your walking period and do it. (Wait until |
| sneeze at, since strolling of hours an miles can add | | | | you have been moving around for at least ten |
| up to significant work. An after-dinner stroll could | | | | minutes.) Measure your pulse rate for ten |
| stretch to two hours or two miles, while a | | | | seconds and then multiply the number of beats |
| Sunday stroll could stretch to three or four hours. | | | | by six to obtain the number of heartbeats per |
| Even walking the dog for 20 minutes a day can | | | | minute. |
| add another mile or so a week. | | | | If your heartbeats is below the training zone, you |
| Strolling is valuable as exercise because repetitious | | | | can speed up or extend your walking period until |
| movement of the body's walking-muscle groups | | | | you reach the training zone. As you become |
| aid circulation and burn off calories, albeit at a slow | | | | more physically fit, the speed and duration must |
| rate. But don't base your whole exercise program | | | | be increased for you to continue making progress. |
| on strolling. It's not vigorous, so it has the effect | | | | Otherwise, you would merely maintain the level of |
| of a limbering up exercise rather than that of | | | | fitness that you have achieved. |
| training. | | | | Long-distance walking. There are now many |
| Normal walking. You do this without being | | | | long-distance routes mapped out and illustrated in |
| conscious of your speed. It's not walking for a | | | | guidebooks. But before you prepare to take such |
| practical purpose. It is characterized by an | | | | a walk you should have a checkup and do a |
| average speed of three m.p.h Like strolling, normal | | | | number of test walks to determine your pace, |
| walking can be enhanced as an exercise simply by | | | | endurance and equipment requirements. |
| doing more of it. | | | | Not everyone can match Edward Payson Weston, |
| One of the best and most common ways to | | | | known as the father of American walking. He |
| accomplish this is to walk to work. Counting time | | | | introduced and publicized its health and fitness |
| spent waiting for buses and trains, many people | | | | benefits with crowd-pleasing long-distance walks, |
| can get to work faster by walking than by taking | | | | beginning in 1861 when he walked form Boston to |
| mass transportation. At work, take the stairs | | | | Washington, D.C., for the inauguration of Abraham |
| instead of waiting for the elevator. Walk to visit | | | | Lincoln. In 1913, at the age of 74, he walked from |
| your co-workers instead of calling them on the | | | | New York City to Minneapolis in 60 days. Weston |
| phone. During you coffee break, take a walk and | | | | Believed that walking could actually make a person |
| stretch your legs. | | | | "improve with age and never go stale." He lived to |
| Walks are also recommended before and after | | | | age 90. |