Walk
Write

By Judy Heller

Judy Heller, founder of
Wonders of Walking LLC,
advocates walking for well being and pleasure. Wonders of Walking promotes Walking Events for Walkers by Walkers. Judy Heller is founder and owner of EroFit & Associates, LLC, celebrating Fitness for a Lifetime. Heller offers personalized fitness training and coaching for individuals and groups.
Contact: Judy Heller
at 503-282-1677:
email judy@erofit.com
jheller@wondersofwalking.com

Also visit: www.erofit.com
www.wondersofwalking.com

I only went out
for a walk and
concluded to stay out until sundown,
For going out,
I found
Was really going in.

— John Muir

Fact or Fiction?
Running Is Better Than Walking

I grew up in the late 1940s and 1950s, a time that was later characterized by historians as “the culture of conformity.” But the 50s were also a time when conformity was challenged, and the new youth culture emerged: The birth of Rock and Roll, the emergence of the Beatniks, the rise of the Cold War. It was also the precursor to the turbulent 1960s.

What I remember about my childhood isn’t the social or political aspects, it is this: I loved playing outside. Living in Los Angeles, which averaged 329 days of sunshine per year, I found it easy to be out riding a bike, playing with friends, exploring our neighborhood. That changed when I started high school in 1960, as most girls avoided any structured exercise. At least, this girl did! Without a Title IX program, there were few, if any, opportunities for girls to participate in sports.

Fast forward another 10 years: Our family lived in Eugene in the 1970s, when Steve Prefontaine was making his legendary mark on all of us, and the University of Oregon was running strong. During this time “running” began to make inroads into our society as a means of challenging oneself, having fun, and, oh yes, improving one’s health.

I was swept along with this latest craze in an attempt to lose unwanted weight. The first time I went running, I was shocked to find I couldn’t make it from one corner to another without stopping. I began walking, then jogging. I experienced the empowerment of entering 5ks, 10ks, and half marathons. Despite my training, I continually battled injuries, including tendonitis. I also sustained stress fractures.

It wasn’t until I was in my 40s that I discovered the pure exhilaration of movement as I transitioned from a slow jogger to a walker, more specifically, to a racewalker. I discovered a level of enjoyment, fitness, and competitive spirit I had not attained while jogging. Life is a flow of experiences that build upon each other. This discovery provided the foundation for what I do today: coaching others.

As a coach, I’m often asked, “Is it better to walk or run?”

The answer depends on who you are, your health and current fitness level, and your goals. The most important factor in choosing a regular aerobic activity is to pick something you enjoy.

Consider what walking and running have in common:
• Both increase cardiovascular fitness.
• Both can be done almost anywhere and at any time with no complex or expensive equipment required (unlike skiing or rowing or biking).
• You can master the basics of either form and gain fitness in a matter of weeks.
• Both forms reduce stress, increase energy, and lower the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis, and diabetes. Both are excellent for managing weight.

Some of the differences and advantages include:
• Both walking and running can help lower your risk for osteoporosis, but running tends to cause more impact-related injuries.
• Walking is more accessible than running for people who have no previous sports experience.
• Walking has a lower injury rate than running. Walking is less mechanically stressful because it is a “low impact” activity, which means it produces less vertical impact force.
• Running receives more media hype overall: Marathons, Olympics, even local high school teams can gain the spotlight, while little attention is paid to walking — even though racewalking has been an Olympic event since 1908 for men and 1992 for women.
• Walking is gaining more acceptance as a sport versus leisure-only activity.

Without a doubt, walking can provide benefits equivalent to running, with less risk of injury. The key to obtaining the desired benefits is by walking in a manner that elevates your heart rate into an aerobic training zone. The fitter you become, the harder you must work to obtain that training level. Once you have reached a point where you can walk a few miles with relative ease, you can start varying the intensity by walking hills, walking faster, or if you really want to step it up, racewalking.
Whether you choose to walk, hike, run, bike, or swim, the objective is to have an effective aerobic workout and have fun! This is an opportunity to enjoy the special feelings of healthy movement, content in the knowledge that you are improving the quality of this moment in time and your general health.