Benefits Of Aerobic Training Outclass Those Of Lower-intensity Walking Programs

What we have been saying for years.

What to do: walk around the block or work up a sweat in an aerobic workout at the gym? If you're looking for the best health benefits from an exercise program, a traditional aerobic fitness program that gets your heart pumping beats a walking program hands down...

University of Alberta researchers compared fitness training to a pedometer-based walking program, measuring the fitness and health outcomes of each. Programs were designed so participants would expend the same amount of energy in each regimen.

The six-month study, published by exercise physiologist, Gordon Bell, in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, recruited 128 physically inactive men and women between 27 and 65 years of age with no known cardiovascular or other diseases. "Physically inactive" was defined by researchers as taking fewer than 5500 steps per day over a seven day period and not participating in any form of regular exercise.

Comparing fitness and walking groups, researchers found that after six months those in the supervised fitness program showed significantly greater reductions in

their systolic blood pressure (~9 per cent versus 3 per cent),
rating of perceived exertion ( 10 per cent versus no change), the effort measured during submaximal exercise
ventilatory threshold ( 15 per cent versus 4 per cent) - this is the point at which respiratory changes occur and respiration begins to become increasingly difficult during progressive exercise
peak VO2 , a measurement of peak oxygen intake (9 per cent versus 3 per cent).

"The participants in the traditional fitness program improved their fitness-based response more than those in the walking program," says Bell. "The magnitude of that difference in improvement was very clear."

However, he says, it's not the type of exercise program for everyone.

Right.

Only for those who want to see results and experience success.