Frequently Asked Questions

What type of activity is best for improving the fitness of your heart and lungs?

More vigorous aerobic activities such as brisk walking, running, swimming, bicycling, roller-skating, and jumping rope -- done on most days of the week for 30-60 minutes --are best.

Can moderate to low-intensity activity bring benefits?

When done for as little 30 minutes a day, activities such as pleasure walking, climbing stairs, gardening, yard work, moderate to heavy housework, dancing and home exercise have been shown to be beneficial. Again, doing anything is better than nothing.

How does walking compare to running?

Walking can provide the same benefits as a running program. General health benefits are acquired from any walking. For cardio benefits the key is walking fast enough to get your heart rate up. Walkers may miss fewer days due to injury than runners while achieving similar improvements in aerobic conditioning.

How many calories do I need to burn to lose one pound?

One pound of body fat is equal to 3500 calories.

A healthy rate of weight loss is approximately one to two pounds per week. If you are losing faster than that you may be losing bone and muscle mass in addition to fat. In order to average one pound per week it would be necessary to burn an additional 500 calories per day. (7 days a week X 500 calories per day = 3500 calories.)

If you do not have the time or energy to burn the additional 500 calories a day you can use a combination of calorie reduction and exercise. Such as burning 300 calories a day through exercise and reducing calorie intake by 200 calories.

What is considered a good fitness walking pace?

An average fitness walking pace is close to a 15 minute mile. But, a good pace will vary depending on your fitness level, walking technique, walking goals, and terrain. For general fitness walking you should walk at a pace that increases your heart rate, and you can maintain for 30 to 60 minutes. Use the talk test... if you can't speak without gasping for air you are walking too fast. If you are walking slowly enough that you can carry a tune you are probably walking too slow.