It requires no gym subscription, no spandex, Lycra or legwarmers and is an activity to which even the most fitness-phobic individual might not be averse. So what is the latest exercise trend that we are being encouraged to embrace for the good of our health and the sliminess of our thighs? A daily stroll. Earlier this month, the LA Times predicted that walking would be this year's biggest fitness trend and that we will be taking to pavements in hordes akin to the jogging boom of the 1970s. Indeed, high-profile personal trainers on both sides of the Atlantic can now be spotted marching their clients around parks and pavements.
Lucy Knight, author of Walking for Weight Loss (Kyle Cathie, £12.99), says that the benefits of walking are countless. You use pretty much the same muscles as running - strengthening the hamstring, quadriceps, iliopsoas muscles at the front of the hips, calf and the gluteus maximus muscles with each stride - but the activity is far kinder to the joints. "It is not a high-impact activity," she says. "So, while it strengthens and stabilises the muscles around your major joints, it reduces the wear and tear on the cartilage and minimises the risk of joint injury." Researchers, too, are in no doubt that the resurgence of a daily stroll to boost health is much needed. "Humans were designed to walk," says James Levine, professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic college of medicine in Minnesota, who has studied the benefits. "We spent 7m years of our history walking and now, all of a sudden we are sitting down. That is having a profound effect on our health."
A daily walk has been linked to reducing the risk of heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes. And studies have shown that a broader set of disorders - from sexual dysfunction to cognitive decline - can also be aided by a brisk walk around the block. Indeed, JoAnn Manson, professor of medicine at Harvard University, goes as far as describing a daily stroll as being "as close to a magic bullet as you'll find in modern medicine. If there was a pill that could lower the risk of chronic disease like walking does, then people would be clamouring for it".
Technique
Dawdling along while window shopping will not help you walk your way to fitness, says Knight. Instead, she suggests perfecting your power-walking technique. Stand tall with your arms by your sides and pull your navel towards your spine so that your core muscles are working. Focus your eyes 5-6 metres ahead and keep your shoulders relaxed. Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle and cup your hands lightly, rather than clenching your fists. Leading with the heel, take a step forward with your right foot and move your arms in opposition (ie as your left arm moves forward, your right moves back). Transfer your weight through the heel of your right foot. "A common mistake is to allow the arms to swing from side to side rather than backwards and forwards," Knight says. "Walking with straight, rigid arms is another bad practice. It is much harder to walk at any speed without the propelling motion of the arms."
Footwear
Using your old running trainers for walking will do you no favours, says Knight. "Running shoes are generally high at the heel to control the motion of the rear foot," she explains. "But this feature is not necessary for walking and only causes you to overwork your shin muscles, resulting in soreness and inflammation." Instead, she recommends a walking-specific trainer or shoe with a flexible sole "that has more bend in the toe than a runner's shoe" with cushioning at the heel and breathable upper. Walking boots and sandals are unsuitable for power walking, Knight says, as "they are more inflexible with stiff soles". A specialist sports shop will be able to advise you on appropriate footwear. Manufacturers of the fashionable MBT footwear (mbt-uk.com) claim that, because the soles cut away at the heel and front, the shoes encourage your foot to roll forward, requiring you to work harder. As a result, they are said to tone you up and fight cellulite. Doubtful, some physiologists say, but it may be worth a try.
Mind benefits
There is growing evidence that by striding out more often you will improve not just your physical but also your mental health and brainpower. Last week researchers from the University of Exeter reported that just five to 10 minutes of walking a day can significantly cut cravings for cigarettes among people trying to kick the habit. "Relatively small doses of exercise should be recommended as an aid to managing cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms," says Dr Adrian Taylor who headed the study published in the April edition of Addiction journal. At the University of Illinois, researchers compared the effects of a walking programme over a toning and stretching regime in elderly subjects and found that walkers performed far better in tests of mental agility. Like other forms of aerobic exercise, it increases oxygen supplies and blood flow to the brain, helping it to stay more alert and work more efficiently. Walking can also improve memory and prevent memory loss. A study of more than 2,200 Japanese-American men between the ages of 71 and 93 found that elderly men who are sedentary or walk less than a quarter of a mile per day are nearly twice as likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease compared with men who walk more than two miles a day.
Disease-fighting benefits
Researchers have linked brisk walking to the prevention of a plethora of diseases from cancer to diabetes. Being a weight-bearing activity, it is recommended by the National Osteoporosis Society as a great bone-strengthener while Nicki Cooper, head of education and medical information at the British Heart Foundation, says "the cardiovascular benefits of walking make it the ideal activity for protecting against heart disease. Indeed, researchers at the University of Colorado have found that it lowers cholesterol and prevents peripheral artery disease (which impairs blood flow in the legs and causes leg pain in one-fifth of elderly people). A daily walk can even prevent colds. A study at the University of Massachusetts medical school found that, of 550 subjects, those who walked every day had 25% fewer colds than their sedentary counterparts.
Weight loss
Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh recently revealed that overweight people who walked briskly for 30 to 60 minutes a day lost 7lbs in about 18 months even if they didn't change any other lifestyle habits. Another study at the University of North Carolina found that people who walked at least four hours a week gained an average 9lbs less weight than those who didn't walk as they got older. Nordic walking, using ski-like poles, could aid faster weight loss says Professor John Pocari, an exercise physiologist at the University of Wisconsin, who found that using the poles forces people to pick up their pace and work harder without realising it. "Just the fact that they are using their arms through a greater range of motion than normal means they are increasing calorie expenditure," Pocari says. On average, a person who walks three miles in a workout will burn 100 calories per mile. "Add poles, and they burn 20% more calories," Pocari says. Participants in his studies were also found to increase their upper-body strength by 40% and, compared with running, he estimates that walking - with or without poles - reduces impact on vulnerable hips, ankles and knees by 26%. Knight recommends incorporating fast bursts into your daily walk. "Trying to overtake people is a good idea," she says. "The faster you get, the fitter you will become."
Variations on a stroll
Walking on softer surfaces, such as mud, sand or grass, or going uphill automatically means you will use more energy. Unlike on a pavement, every time your foot hits soft ground it creates a small depression so that the leg muscles must work harder to push upwards and forwards for the next step. Walking on cobblestones, or on ground as rocky as you can find, may have even greater benefits. Last year, physiologists at the Oregon research Institute found that cobblestone-walking, an activity rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, leads to a reduction in blood pressure. It is thought that the uneven surfaces stimulate acupressure points on the soles of the feet, thereby regulating blood pressure.
If you were to buy one piece of equipment to aid your walking programme, Knight recommends a pedometer. "Some models allow you to input your stride length and then calculate the distance covered and calories burned," she says. "They provide you with the motivation constantly to improve your performance".
