kept his rate at the prescribed level of 130, it was only a cou-
ple of weeks before he felt some positive results. And within a
couple of months, Dave was thinner, had more energy and was
walking faster.Walking for the Non-Walking Competitor
Walking is also valuable to the competitive athlete whose sport may
be cycling, running or any other more intense aerobic or anaerobic
activity. Walking can be used as part of a warm-up and cool-down.
Competitive athletes, when they’re in a rush or working out with oth-
ers, often don’t warm up and cool down enough or properly. One
way to ensure this is done is to walk for 5 or 10 minutes before each
workout. Even if you bike or swim, a walk is a good way to warm up.
The same is true for cooling down. When you get off your bike or get
out of the pool, go for an easy walk to cool down. If you make it a
habit, you won’t feel right missing it.
Besides the cross-training effect on your muscles and nervous
system, walking helps train muscle fibers you might not normally use
in your workout. These are the very small aerobic fibers used during
low-intensity activity. Many trained athletes say their weekly walk
initially made them sore. That’s due to the lack of use of these small
muscle fibers, which also help break down lactic acid and bring more
blood to the anaerobic fibers.
Walking is also a useful physical therapy following an injury or a
period in which you have decreased your workouts for any reason. If
you’re injured, you may be unable to run or ride but have no trouble
walking. Doing an easy aerobic workout is much better than doing
nothing. And walking is a good way to come back from a period of
time off without throwing your body back into high-level workouts.
Sometimes, even walking is difficult due to an injury or some
other problem. Try walking in a pool in waist- or chest-high water.
Gradually walk in shallower water before trying it on dry land.
As great as walking can be, many people feel uncomfortable
about doing it. They somehow feel it’s not enough of a workout, or
it’s too easy. It’s that no-pain, no-gain feeling your nervous system
has recorded in its memory. It’s time to add some new memory.216 • IN FITNESS AND IN HEALTH