ent risk factor for coronary heart disease, doubling the
risk. Inactivity is almost as great a risk for coronary heart
disease as cigarette smoking and hypertension.- Walking is associated with a lower rate of colon cancer,
stroke and low-back injury.
All this can be accomplished with easy aerobic exercise. How
easy? The equivalent of a sustained 30-minute walk, four or five times
a week. Less than 30 percent of Americans are this active, including
children who spend most of their spare time watching TV.
For some people, especially those who have been very inactive,
very overweight or have chronic illness, even walking may pose
overexercise problems. Whether 18 or 80, if you’re beginning an exer-
cise program, or have been inactive for a period of time and now
want to start walking, consider using a heart monitor to take the
guesswork out of your walk. I’ve seen too many beginners walking
with too high a heart rate. It’s often because they’re with other people
and the instinct to be competitive comes into play. Talking while
walking also increases the heart rate, and so does walking up a hill
too fast before some level of fitness has been achieved. Former ath-
letes seeking to restore their fitness can benefit from walking; it keeps
them from being too aggressive early in their programs. The most
important thing for a walker to realize is that it’s a fat-burning and
endurance routine. Don’t worry about speed; instead, concern your-
self with endurance. Base your walking on time rather than miles.
Case History
Dave, a former college All-American, was in his middle-40s,
overweight and feeling the effects of work stress. Since he was
in the athletic-apparel business, he wanted to appear more fit.
He began walking on the high-school track almost every
evening. He got out of breath and tired easily, so he kept his
pace relatively slow. After a couple of months with virtually no
results, Dave asked for help. I told him to perform his walk as
he usually does, but with a heart monitor. To our surprise, his
heart rate exceeded 170 and stayed there for nearly the entire
workout. Once Dave began using a heart monitor regularly andYOUR EXERCISE PROGRAM • 215