[HSI] Walk, Don't Run

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Misty L. Trepke

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Walk, Don't Run

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

December 3, 2003

 

Dear Reader,

 

Sometimes it's hard to get started.

 

No one knows better than I do how hard it is to begin a new

exercise regimen - I've gotten on that wagon, fallen off, and

climbed back on again more times than I can count. So I know

that the biggest barrier is usually the psychological one.

 

But I've just read about a new study that I think can help lend

a mental boost to anyone who might need a little help getting a

daily exercise plan underway.

 

And the key word here is " little, " because not only can a little

exercise yield healthy benefits, but there are also studies that

demonstrate how overdoing rigorous daily exercise just might be

harmful to your heart.

 

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Brisk but comfortable

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When you exercise and raise your heart rate to about 55 percent

of maximum, you're getting a cardiovascular workout that

benefits your heart. But how much exercise does it take to reach

the 55 percent level?

 

To answer that question, researchers at the University of

Massachusetts (UM) recruited 84 obese subjects whose ages ranged

from 30 to mid-50s. In the first phase of the two-part test,

each subject walked on a treadmill while oxygen use and heart

rate were measured. The treadmill speed was gradually increased

until the subject reported feeling tired. This established

baseline fitness levels for all participants.

 

In the second part of the test, each subject was instructed to

walk one mile on the treadmill, and to set a " brisk but

comfortable pace. " Thirteen of the subjects established a pace

that pushed their heart rates to more than 90 percent of

maximum. Almost 60 subjects reached a level between 70 and 89

percent. And among those who raised their heart rate the least,

all recorded heart rates between 55 and 69 percent of maximum.

 

So walking at a comfortable pace they set for themselves, all of

the subjects succeeded in raising their heart rates to levels

that would benefit their hearts. And on average, they finished

the one-mile walk in less than 20 minutes.

 

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Running into trouble

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Reading that UM study gave me a real boost and made me feel

motivated. If I can take a brisk, 20-minute walk several times a

week, that's probably all the exercise I need to help my heart.

I don't have to join a gym, or buy any special equipment, or

push myself till I'm blue in the face. Just put on some sweats

and head out the door. What could be simpler?

 

But it's easy to imagine a scenario like this: You live near a

high school, so you go out to their track early in the morning,

four or five days a week. There you are, making your way around

the track, when someone blows by you at top speed. A moment

later he passes you again, and you start to think, " Now that guy

is in good shape. I'll never be in shape like that. " This could

easily lead to discouraging thoughts that you're not doing

enough, so why bother? But the irony is that your cardio health

just might be better than the guy who runs several miles every

day.

 

In response to the UM trial, cardiologist Dr. Kevin Channer made

a distinction between no exercise and taking exercise to the

extreme. Dr. Channer told BBC News Online that while exercise

has been shown to reduce cardiovascular risk, obsessive amounts

of daily exercise may actually raise cardiovascular risk.

 

And Dr. William Campbell Douglass, M.D., agrees.

 

Those of you who to Dr. Douglass' Real Health

Breakthroughs (RHB) newsletter or his free Daily Dose e-letter

are already familiar with his very strong opinion about not

overdoing exercise. In an article titled " Run for your life -

away from strenuous exercise! " in the December 2001 issue of

RHB, Dr. Douglass cites several studies that back up this

surprising claim: " A compelling argument can be made that

overexercising can cause atherosclerosis and coronary heart

disease. "

 

Sound amazing? According to Dr. Douglass, the leading cause of

exercise-related deaths, even in well-trained athletes, is

coronary heart disease. In one of the studies examined in his

article, ten cases of sudden death among marathon runners were

reviewed. " Nine of the 10 died of heart attacks secondary to

severe coronary heart disease. The researchers' conclusion:

Severe coronary atherosclerosis is the most common cause of

death in marathon runners. "

 

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Just do (a little of) it

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As with so many other health issues, it's not surprising to find

that moderation is clearly the key to reaping the health

benefits of exercising.

 

But what's most important for those of us who sometimes require

a helpful nudge or a positive psychological boost, is knowing

that getting even a little exercise may be doing more for our

cardiovascular health than we ever imagined.