Walking versus Running

[annie2867]

I am switching to walking on a treadmill owing to dodgy knees. Could somebody give me some tips on getting a good workout on the treadmill walking? What speeds or duration make the biggest difference? How high of an incline and speed on the treadmill or an elliptical trainer?

Thanks....A.

 

[jdawnc]

My knees hurt too.

I like walking with hand weights or wrist weights. It gives me more of a sweat and the resistance feels great. Also try walking on an incline.

 

[meowracer]

I walk with my weighted vest (10lbs) sometimes. My TM goes to 15% and I vary my inclines. You can get a great workout on the TM! I think speed and incline depend on your fitness level. I would definitely try Cardio Coach workouts or HIIT workouts. Tracey Staehle has a walking DVD but I've not done that one. Have you tried Cardio Coach?

 

[cindi1]

iTread has workouts that tell you what incline and speeds to use for walking/jogging/running - that might help. I LOVE Cardio Coach - but you need to use a HRM so you can guage your intensity level and it may take a couple tries to get it right.

I like using both because iTread jog levels are a good target for me. So I'll use CC and then check my progress with an iTread workout to see if I can keep up.

My DH only walks due to a tricky knee. He mixes up hand weights (does curls, etc), weight vest, speed, and incline. He doesn't go more than 10% on the incline though - he's pulled his achilles in the past.

 

[kathryn]

I do regular, outdoor walking, not treadmill walking, so there are some differences.

If you can get yourself to walk at a speed that feels more comfortable running/jogging (usually approaching 5 mph), it is supposed to burn more calories than running/jogging that same speed.

I am working on getting a 5 mph average on my outdoor walks---I did it a couple of times, but mostly have been making 4.9 mph. I have walked on a treadmill on rare occasions--when staying in hotels--and I can't get that speed, because it's an average: sometimes going 4.5, sometimes going 5.5, and anywhere in between, and the treadmill just goes at a steady pace. (I hate treadmills and machine cardio in general!)

I would say, vary your workouts. Do some intervals with 'hills' and/or faster 'sprints'. Do some longer, steady-state workouts. Cardio Coach (which has already been mentioned) is a great idea, and made for the treadmill. Tracey Staehle also has a "Walking Strong" workout that is pretty good.

 

[RapidBreath]

Tip the incline up until you see your heart rate in the zone. At this incline you may need to work up to using it for long enough to be a good workout, your legs/butt may be sore for a little while.

 

[nancy324]

I think walking is the best exercise there is! Just determine your aerobic zone, wear a heart rate monitor, and stay in your aerobic zone. I download songs I like onto my mp3 player and adjust my walking speed to the song, then adjust the incline accordingly. For a faster song I'll do 4MPH with an incline of 7 or so. For a slower song I may do a speed of 2.4MPH with an incline of 16. After awhile, you become very familiar with the speed for each song.

I've tried Cardio Coach several times, but for me, it just doesn't have the fun factor of my favorite music. Cardio Coach feels like "work" and listening to my music is more fun for me. I'm the type who is very motivated by music when it comes to cardio. But if CC sounds good to you, go for it.