Comparing walkers to runners is like comparing Barry Manilow to the Rolling Stones. One gets all the respect and the other … well, not so much.
But a new study out of the University of California, Berkeley, has given walkers a much-needed boost in respect, not to mention added validation that walking is bona fide exercise.
The study, published this month online in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology, examined the health outcomes of 33,000 runners and 16,000 walkers over six years, and researchers discovered that despite the difference in exercise intensity, both walking and running offered similar reductions in risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. (more…)
It’s easy to think that all the best training ideas come from the world of running. But distance running is part of a wider universe of athletics, so why not borrow from the toolboxes of other sports that require some combo of endurance, speed, and strength? “If all you do is run, you’re failing to develop all of your muscles and limiting your range of motion,” says Dennis Barker, coach for Team USA Minnesota, an elite distance-running program. These workouts taken from the training plans of other sports will lead you to better fitness, sharper speed, and a stronger body.
