Stop more to lose more.
Researchers have recently discovered that taking breaks during a walk about burns more calories than going directly from start to finish at an uninterrupted clip.
In the study, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers measured the oxygen and energy demands of participants who walked on a treadmill and used a stair climber.
Ten healthy volunteers were monitored as they exercised at three different speeds for intervals of 10 seconds to four minutes.
Researchers recorded the level of oxygen consumed by each participant and the metabolic demands of each interval. Tests determined that climbing or walking in 10- to 30-second intervals demanded 60% more oxygen than covering the same distance without stopping.
Coming in hot with the vehicular references, Francesco Luciano, a researcher at the University of Milan and the study’s first author, explained, “When we walk for shorter bouts, we use more energy and consume more oxygen to cover the same distance. It’s like having a car that consumes more fuel during the first few kilometers than it does afterward.”
The team noted that the body required more energy to warm up at the start of each walk and less when it was already in motion.
Luciano continued, “When we start walking, we may incur fixed costs at the beginning of the bout. In analogy, driving a car needs some fuel to start the engine or get the car out of the garage. We found that when starting from rest, a significant amount of oxygen is consumed to start walking. We incur this cost regardless of whether we then walk for 10 or 30 seconds, so it proportionally weighs more for shorter rather than longer bouts.”
The team embarked on this study after determining that many estimates about the energy and oxygen demands of walking analyzed people exercising at a steady metabolic state, which they compare to a car traveling at cruise control.
“Researchers have usually measured energy demands over walking bouts lasting many minutes. However, many people are not even able to walk for so long. Think of elderly individuals or people with gait disorders.”
Their research supports other studies that have found short bursts of physical activity can greatly improve overall health and well-being.
As The Post reported, exercising a “disgustingly small” amount per day, as little as four minutes, can greatly reduce an individual’s cancer risk, and even two minutes of exertion can decrease the risk of death by 18%.
While the average American spends approximately nine of their waking hours sitting, a trend that has been linked to an increased risk of developing dementia, obesity, heart disease and even death, a mere 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity has the potential to lower the risk of adverse health effects of being sedentary.
The health benefits of a daily walk are well-established. From aiding digestion to boosting mood, getting your steps in is undoubtedly a step in the right direction.
Walking is a low-impact alternative to running or other high-intensity workouts. It is effective, accessible, and may help you live a longer, richer life. Recent research finds that walking 5,000 steps three times a week for two years could add three years to a person’s life expectancy and decrease their healthcare costs by up to 13%.
Researchers are hopeful their findings will help shape rehabilitation and physical activity programming for those with limited mobility due to stroke injury or obesity, leading to more inclusive and more effective practices.
“If we want to design programs to promote physical activity or exercise for these people, we need to rethink how to estimate their energy demands and adapt. Understanding the energy demands of short bouts of walking could help us promote physical activity in a more inclusive way.”
