[excerpt] Walking slower could be the best strategy for obese people who are trying to get into shape, according to a recent University of Colorado study.
And although walking isn’t the most intense way to improve fitness, Ray Browning, a doctoral student and lead author of the research, said the study’s results showed two major upsides.
"By walking slower, there’s a slight increase in the amount of calories burned per mile, and it reduces the stress on the joints," he said.
Specifically, the research showed that if obese people walk at 2 mph as opposed to 3 mph, the loads on their knee joints will be reduced by 25 percent. Carol Hostetler, a dietician from the Purdue Health Center, said she often suggests that her patients walk to lose weight because other exercise activities are looked down on.
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