Mary Lynn Sinisi chose to power walk during the treadmill portion of her Orangetheory Fitness classes out of necessity. Seven years of working at Trader Joe’s grocery store, being on her feet for hours at a time, had taken its toll on her joints. A former runner, she just hurt.
But then something unexpected happened: She loved power walking. Since first trying it two years ago, she’s noticed “amazing progress.”
“I thought I was downgrading when I began power walking,” she says, “but I feel so much better. My heart rate is dropping and my oxygen saturation is better. My stamina has increased. I’m even able to lift heavier. Every single step you take is a full body effort. Your entire body stays engaged when you’re power walking on an incline on the treadmill.”
Power walking has helped her get back into running, too. She recently ran four miles with a friend, and hadn’t felt that comfortable doing so in years.
Valerie Hart, a loyal power walker at the Orangetheory studio in Quincy, MA, loves power walking for a variety of reasons.
“It’s easier on my hips than running,” she says. “My legs feel stronger and look more sculpted because of the inclines. And I don’t hate that it’s a good booty workout, too.”
Although power walking can get a bad rap, objections about it tend to be unfounded, says Brittany Masteller, PhD, an Orangetheory Fitness research scientist.
“There’s often an attitude that it’s not effective, and that everyone should try to run,” Dr. Masteller says. “But when it comes to an Orangetheory workout, it’s really just about personal preference. The Orangetheory workouts are designed to reach certain heart rate zones. On the tread, this can be done with power walking or with running. If you’re performing the workout the coach is stating, power walkers and runners can elicit similar heart rate zones”
The main difference between power walking and running, she says, is that in running, there’s a time during each step when both your feet are off the ground. With power walking, one foot is always touching the ground.
“When it comes to the intensity and impact, with running, your body is in the air, so when you come back down, that creates a higher impact,” Dr. Masteller says. “This can be uncomfortable or painful for some people for various reasons. Whatever movement members choose to do on the treadmill – power walking, jogging, running, or a combination – what’s important to remember is this: When Ellen Latham created Orangetheory, she wanted it to be effective for everyone who enters the studio.
“The templates are created and designed to elicit that positive response for all kinds of participants,” Dr. Masteller says.
Again, it’s your choice. And with National Walking Day approaching on April 5, what better time to
