Is Fast Walking an Adequate Aerobic Training Stimulus for 30- to 69-Year-Old Men and Women?

Abstract

In brief: Two related studies were conducted to determine whether fast walking is intense enough to elicit a training heart rate (THR), which is defined as ≥ 70% of maximal heart rate. In one study, 343 subjects (165 men, 178 women) walked a mile as fast as possible. Ninety-one percent of all the women and 83% of men aged 50 and older reached a THR. In the second study, ten men with high V o2 max values were instructed to achieve and maintain a THR and were provided with visual feedback of their heart rate (HR) during a 30-minute walk. These subjects maintained a THR for an average of 25 minutes during the walk. Thus, it seems that fast walking may indeed offer an adequate aerobic training stimulus for most adults.