Thursday, July 14, 2005

Slow Walks Burn More Calories


















Results of a small study published in the May 2005 issue of Obesity Research and conducted at the University of Colorado at Boulder found that obese adults burn more calories per mile when they stroll than when they walk at a faster pace. What’s more, the researchers say that a more leisurely pace can benefit the obese more than the brisk walking usually recommended as exercise for former couch potatoes by easing stress on the joints, thus lowering the risk of arthritis and injuries. The Colorado researchers studied 20 obese men and women and 20 men and women of normal weight as they walked a specified course at different speeds. The investigators found that the obese burned more calories when they walked at a slower pace for a longer period than they did when they walked briskly. The same team also found that, when performing identical exercises, obese individuals burned only 10 percent more calories than normal weight subjects did even though their weight was much more than 10 percent higher.

For more information on this article go to: webmd.com

No comments: