My fellow walking instructor, Gay, and I are putting together a booklet that describes 20 beautiful routes in our walk-friendly hometown of Lake Oswego, OR. One of the decisions we must make is how we should categorize the walks--by distance or by how long a somewhat fit walker should expect them to take. The dilemma precipitated a discussion about whether our ultimate goal was walking for pleasure or walking for fitness (and pleasure). The former usually means a slow pace that may or may not improve physical fitness. The latter would encourage physical fitness but might sacrifice the social or emotional fitness a walk can bring. As I often do, I went searching for data about walking habits.

It turns out there was a survey of 7,600 adults in Michigan that revealed what I expected. Although most people in the survey listed walking as their primary source of exercise, they did not walk frequently enough or fast enough to gain real health benefits. Another report, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), revealed that 20% of those surveyed in their study listed walking as their main physical activity, but only a third walked at least four times per week, and only a quarter walked at a brisk pace. These numbers translated to the following conclusion: just six percent of walkers met the Surgeon General's recommendations for speed and frequency.

In short, many people who think that when they walk they are exercising for improved health are actually not putting forth enough effort to achieve those results. Whether you are looking to lose weight or strengthen your heart (and the other systems of your body) you have to increase your pace until you are very slightly breathless to challenge your body sufficiently to boost your metabolism and gain other results. Adding intervals--brief periods where the pace makes you breathless for a few seconds--followed by a recovery to the slightly breathless pace, will make you fit faster.

If you walk for exercise, consider pushing your pace next time you walk. But, don't avoid pleasurable walks by any means. A slow walk this weekend with my friends, Judy and Jeannie, gave us a memorable opportunity to peer at emerging flowers and check out the landscape of yards as I paced the distance of one of those proposed routes.

I think, for the walking booklet, we'll talk fitness but go for distance.

Whichever you prefer, make a point to spend time walking with someone you love this week. You will never regret it.