Walk faster, not just longer: A brisk pace beats a stroll at reversing frailty
In a 16-week trial, people who walked hard enough to reach about 70% of their maximum heart rate improved more often than those who strolled.
If your daily walk is more amble than stride, new research suggests picking up the pace may pay off. A study in PLOS ONE, reported Nov. 2, compared two walking programs in prefrail and frail adults and found that the faster one did more to roll back signs of frailty.
Participants did three supervised walking sessions a week for 16 weeks. One group walked hard enough to raise heart rate to about 70% of maximum. The other walked at a self-chosen, casual pace that kept heart rate below 60% of maximum.
The researchers measured frailty with a standard tool called SHARE-FI, which looks at fatigue, appetite, grip strength, the ability to walk 100 meters or climb stairs without resting and how often people do everyday physical tasks. In the brisk group, 69.6% improved in at least one category, compared with 46.4% of casual walkers. Both groups got better; the brisk walkers got better more often.
The study looked at people who were already prefrail or frail, so it does not prove the same payoff for a fit 45-year-old. It does add to evidence that intensity matters, not just step counts.
It does add to evidence that intensity matters, not just step counts.
One way to try it, three days a week: Warm up with five minutes of easy walking. Then alternate three minutes of brisk walking, fast enough that you can speak in short phrases but not sing, with three minutes at an easy pace. Repeat five times and cool down for five minutes, about 40 minutes in all. A smartwatch can track heart rate; a common rough estimate of maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age, and 70% of that number is the zone the brisk group used.
What to ask your provider: Is brisk walking safe for my heart, joints and blood pressure? Do any of my medications, such as beta blockers, change how I should use heart-rate targets? Should I add strength work for my grip and legs, too?
