Photos courtesy of Healthy New Albany Inc. and CapCity Sports Media
With the 14th annual New Albany Walking Classic quickly approaching, participants from and beyond central Ohio are lacing up, hitting the trails and getting their walk on. Walking has become increasingly popular, but some consider this striding workout to be less effective than running.
Prepare to be enlightened: Walking and running actually share many of the same health benefits.
A Little History
For those who don’t know the story behind the Walk, it honestly started with one man’s vision.
When Philip Heit realized he may need a knee replacement, his doctor recommended walking instead of running for exercise. The suggestion was shocking for Heit, though, who was a longtime runner and even helped start the New York City Marathon in 1970.
“My response was, ‘walking is for wimps,’” Heit says. “And boy, that changed that day.”
Leaving the doctor’s office and returning to his New Albany home, Heit put on his running shoes and made his way to a community trail. Heit didn’t disregard his doctor’s advice, but he did start walking rather quickly.
Phil Heit pictured on the right
“I realized I was getting quite a workout,” Heit says. “I knew at that moment I was onto something.”
Today, the Walk is the largest walking-only event in America. It has more than 3,000 walkers and raises funds for the programs and health services offered by Healthy New Albany Inc. The event has helped shape the walking culture across America by not only making it a more desirable and serious workout, but proving that walkers are athletes just the same.
Helping Joints
With exercise comes weight loss, and with weight loss comes a decrease in joint pain.
Dr. Mark E. Gittins – an orthopedic surgeon with OrthoNeuro who specializes in sports medicine and arthritis, and has extensive knowledge of outpatient joint reconstruction – says walking is the perfect exercise for those with joint discomfort.
“Walking doesn’t make your arthritis go away, but it can make people feel more involved (in making a personal difference),” says Gittins. “If you coordinate some sort of dietary modification with (walking) it can certainly help drop some pounds and help with joint pain.”
According to the Arthritis Foundation, a national organization dedicated to providing data on arthritis, losing one pound of weight results in a removal of four pounds of pressure from the knees. Basically, if someone loses 10 pounds of weight, 40 pounds of pressure would be released from the knees.
Gittins says his patients who lead sedentary lifestyle are always encouraged to join local walking groups or clubs to keep their joints agile. But having the right shoes is vital.
“It doesn’t take much equipment except a good pair of shoes,” says Gittins. “Walking in flip-flops is probably not the wisest choice. I see people who do that, and they wonder why they’re sore.”
A Stronger Heart
Strolling through a shop or park may not increase your heart rate, but walking at a quick pace can get the blood pumping, and thus aid in heart health.
A recent study cited in a 2017 article by the American Heart Association discussed how the benefits of briskly walking are practically equal to running.
Conducted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Life Science Division in Berkeley, California, the study found that moderate to intense walking and vigorous to intense running resulted in similar reductions to the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and potentially coronary heart disease.
“I think you get almost all benefits from walking as you do from running,” says Gittins. “It may take you longer to walk because your pace is slower, but we see fewer injuries from having that slower pace. I think walking makes a lot of sense, and we certainly promote it since a large percent of the population can patriciate.”
Apart from a healthy heart, there is a connection between physical activity, like fast-paced walking, and cancer prevention.
According to the National Cancer Institute, the leader in cancer research in the U.S., physically active individuals have a 12 percent lower risk of developing breast cancer and a 24 percent lower risk of colon cancer. NCI notes that other cancers have limited evidence, but in an NCI study with more than 1 million participants partaking in leisure exercise, there was a reduced risk for cancers like kidney, liver, bladder and myeloid leukemia.
A Healthy Mind
The stigma around mental health is slowly fading, and with the stresses of daily life, people are realizing the importance of a healthy mind.
Just like running, walking can produce a natural high where endorphins and dopamine – the reward chemical – are released into the brain, which can help with depression and control addiction. Other mindful benefits include a reduction in stress and anxiety, prevention of cognitive decline while strengthening the mind, and even the ability to spark creativity.
“Some of my most creative ideas arise during my walks,” Heit says. “It's a time to think clearly and reflect on many items.”
The idea for creating the New Albany Walking Club occurred, not surprisingly, while Heit was walking, which eventually led to the Walk.
Social interactions can also aid in mental health. Joining walking organizations allows members to chat while exercising together, which may be more comfortable than running and talking with friends.
“Like our (New Albany) Walking Club, it brings people together with the commonality of walking and allows for people to bond,” Heit says. “Walking provides a social support opportunity so that goals, whether walking-related such as increasing speed or promoting friendships, are fostered.”
Never in Second Place
With Heit going from a longtime runner to an avid walker, his outlook on walking is equivalent to the culture around running.
“Walking should never take a back seat,” Heit says. “Walking takes every bit of athletic skill as does running. You have to train, you have to make a time commitment, you have to be able to endure both physically and mentally. When you’re a walker, you’re an athlete.”
Heit explains that walking can present different levels physical challenge, just like running.
“Walking is what you want it to be just as you want running to be,” he says. “It could be extensive, it could be as intense as you want it to be. Walking is no different.”
Going Live!
For the first time ever, the New Albany Walking Classic will be broadcasted live on WBNS-10TV.
Sponsored by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Heit says the live broadcast is a personal highlight of the event.
“I’ve tried every year, but we could never get a sponsor,” Heit says. ‘It’s been a dream to help this come to fruition.”
With the Walk going live it’s also the first time anywhere in the U.S. that a competitive walk will be broadcast from beginning to end. Tune in starting at 8 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 9.
Lydia Freudenberg is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
