Which is better?

[mamaduck]

Is it better for me to walk for 45 min. each day at a moderate pace, or for 28 minutes each day and a much faster pace?

Which is better for improving my general conditioning?

Which is better for weight loss?

Might there be any advantage to alternating?

[Millie Ivy]

Well, as far as which is better, I don't know. But definitely there are benefits to alternating!!! Any time you change it up a bit it makes your body work instead of getting complacent!

[mamatoady]

I'd say for overall health, the moderate pace for longer would be better for you, but to kick in some extra momentum for your metabolism, I'd alternate some. You want that heart to be pumping a little harder than normal for benefit.

sarah

[Geofizz]

Do whichever one you are more likely to keep doing.

[sleeping queen]

I think to reap the most benefits you need to raise your heartrate to a certain level depending on your age. I myself prefer the moderate pace, but it doesn't raise my heartrate enough.

[FitnessMom]

Both types of training zones are good.

A moderate pace will keep your heart rate between 60-70% of your maximum heart rate , and is often referred to as the fat burning zone. This is due to fat being the primary fuel when working in this zone. It is easy to maintain this pace for extended periods of time and is good for building up your endurance: recommended for cardio between 45-90 minutes of duration.

A faster pace will keep your heart rate between 70-80% of your maximum heart rate, and is generally referred to as the aerobic zone. This zone burns more glycogen(storage form of of carbs) than fat. Is a good pace to do cardio for 30-45 minutes at a time; it improves the cardiovascular system(increases capillarization and increases the number of mitochondria-the muscle's fat burning cells.

IMO, it would be beneficial to alternate both types of training.

Both types of training are good for fat loss. The amount of calories burned are more important than the type of fuel being used during exercise when it comes to fat loss. You can burn more calories in a shorter period of time with a faster pace.

You can even do intervals between the two types of paces to mix it up once or twice a week. For example , for the fiirst 10 minutes of exercising, do a comfortable pace for a warm up. Then kick it up to a faster pace for 1 or 2 minutes, then drop back down t the moderate pace for 1-3 minutes. There are no set rules for doing interval training. Have fun and play around a bit. Pick land marks like telephone poles and kick it up from one pole to the next, then drop it back down etc.


BTW, to find your maximum heart rate, the basic formula is (220- your age). You can multiply your max heart rate by .6 and .7 to find the range to work in for the moderate pace, and multiply it by .7 and .8 to find the range to work in for the faster pace. Once in a while during your walk you can stop briefly and take a 10 second heart rate, and multiply that number by 6 to see if you are in the correct range.

[Quirky]

How about 45 minutes a day at the faster pace?

It is good to alternate but as you get more fit your body will go into cruise control and not work as hard, so it's important to mix things up and to raise your intensity from time to time. Try to find some hills to walk up, or do some backwards walking, or do some jumping jacks.

Don't keep yourself in the lower zone thinking you will burn more fat and therefore lose more weight, though - it doesn't work that way. The more calories you burn, the more fat calories you will burn, and the more total calories you burn off, the more weight you will lose. See, e.g.,

http://www.thefitmap.com/women/featu...ning_zones.htm

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art596.asp

A heart rate monitor is a great investment to help you figure out how you're doing in keeping yourself in a particular target zone, and it also helps you see over time how your cardiovascular fitness has improved.

[tricia80]