Tired of Being Obese? Walk Like a Bodybuilder! Study Confirms Effectivity of Incline Treadmill-Walking

Are you obese or just generally concerned about your joint health? Forget jogging and ramp up your treadmill. According to the results of a study published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (MSSE. 2011) slow walking on an incline produces a similar metabolic workload as running while concomitantly reducing loading rates on lower extremities:

Metabolic rates were similar across trials and were moderate intensity (48.5-59.8% of VO2max). Walking slower uphill significantly reduced loading rates and lower extremity net muscle moments compared to faster level walking. Peak knee extension and adduction moments were reduced by ~ 19% and 26%, respectively, when subjects walked up a 6[degrees] incline at 0.75m/s vs. level walking at 1.50m/s.

So, ramp up your incline and walk, but please do me a favor and do not hold on to the handle in front of you, like some of the overweight mamas at my gym do. This will not only reduce the work-intensity and thus diminish the metabolic effect, it may as well ruin your back.

Edit: Dr. Rouse was kind enough to remind me that there is a world beyond the gym (cf. my Facebook page) and that just walking outside would be a better alternative - thanks Peter ;-)