What Does a Walking Program Look Like?

Tables 3.3, 3.4, and 3.5 lay out walking programs for individuals with three different starting levels: previously sedentary with low fitness, mildly active with fair to moderate fitness, and currently active with good fitness. Possible progressions through a three-month time frame are shown for the first two examples, while shorter progressions are shown for the others.

Please remember that these are only examples and that you must tailor any program to suit your needs and abilities. One s health status and response to a program also determine how it progresses. For example, if you find that the initial workout length is quite easy, and if you are not sore, you may increase the duration from 5 minutes to 10 minutes for the second workout. As long as pain or stiffness does not increase, it is still a safe duration for early in your program. If you increase the duration and your knee swells up, however, back off to the workout s previous length and take steps to control the swelling. If you were not having any problems before this incident, review the previous few days activities—you might find that something else is the culprit (such as walking on an uneven surface the day before).

Note that for the individual with low fitness in table 3.3, the initial intensity is lower than the ACSM guidelines; it is modified to accommodate arthritis and to help the person stick to the program. The intensity stays low for a few weeks and then slowly increases, as does the duration. Notice that the frequency starts at three times per day, which brings the total time toward the recommended minimum. The workout frequency can be decreased to twice a day as the sessions approach 15 minutes in length, then to once a day when they last about 20 minutes. From then on the person can slowly increase both intensity and duration.

A person who has been somewhat active and is at the fair to moderate fitness level (based on a preliminary fitness evaluation, if possible) can begin with longer walks at a higher intensity (see table 3.4). The intensity of the workout remains steady during the first month, but the duration increases. It is tempting to ratchet up speed and duration more rapidly, but arthritis patients are more likely to stick with a program if it progresses slowly and stays within comfort levels for their arthritis. It is often wise to increase duration without increasing speed until you get used to working out.

You may find that you are in better shape than you thought, or that your arthritis is not bothering you much. In this case, you might increase the intensity by 2 to 5 percent in the fourth week. If you were closer to the moderate level of fitness for your baseline test, you might start with a single bout of 20 minutes and then increase duration, intensity, or both.

An active individual who wishes to implement a regular training program or modify an existing one can start off at a higher level of intensity (see table 3.5). I would suggest putting some variations into this program to keep it interesting and challenging. Do what you prefer, however—some people like a consistent routine so that they do not have to check a log to see what to do. To vary the regimen you might include a hilly route or a longer walk two times per week (see week 1 in the table).

As the program intensifies, the warm-up and cool-down gain in importance. Each should be lengthened, incorporating more range of motion exercises, more mild aerobic activity (such as marching in place), and more stretching—especially during the cool-down. Include strengthening work for your trunk and lower extremities, which guards against injuries and problems that can occur on hills or rough terrain. Many people take it for granted that if they have been walking regularly, their trunk and legs have acquired the strength they need. This assumption is not true. According to the principle of specificity that I discussed in chapter 2, strengthening occurs primarily through exercises that require you to produce more force. Walking builds endurance in your muscles, but not necessarily strength.

Chapter 4 addresses strength training and provides some ideas for training your trunk and legs. One gentleman with whom I worked walked regularly, often for several miles. He never did any strength training, however, and could not walk down stairs easily. After a simple home strengthening program, he could not only get up and down stairs more readily but also found that he could walk faster and with less pain.