More than 2,400 years ago, Hippocrates said, “Walking is a man’s best medicine.” Today we know that walking, like other forms of regular exercise, improves cardiovascular health, controls weight, reduces stress and helps maintain overall strength and fitness. But can walkers increase the intensity of their workouts and derive more benefits from the exercise by carrying hand weights or strapping on ankle weights when they walk? Opinion isn’t unanimous, but most medical and fitness professional think not.
“The goal of walking with weights is to burn more calories and improve muscle tone in the arms and legs, says Mel Cave, M.S., D.P.T. and Director of Physical Therapy at Somers Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Group. Adding weights while walking can cause injury. There are better ways of intensifying a walking program.”
“While walking with weights does increase caloric burn somewhat, the effect is negligible and not worth the increased risk of injury to ligaments, tendons and muscles. The risk is similar with hand and ankle weights, comments Mr. Cave. Walking with even light weights strapped to the ankles changes the gait significantly and, especially as the walker tires, can lead to improper body alignment, which in turn can cause painful knee, hip and back injuries. Walking with hand weights – either small dumbbells or wrist weights – offers little in the way of toning benefits but increases the natural, gentle momentum of the walker’s swinging arms beyond their normal extension; the over-swinging can cause injury.
“We see damage to walkers’ shoulders and upper arm ligaments and tendons caused by unnatural stretching of the arms while carrying weights,” says Mr. Cave. “And walking with weights may even work against the goal of burning more calories since the added weight may cause the arms and then the legs to move more slowly, wiping out even the small, additional calorie utilization.” An additional risk is that carrying hand weights can cause a rise in blood pressure in some people, thought to result from tightly gripping the weights.
“There are many other ways to increase the impact of a walking program without special equipment,” says Mr. Cave. “Walk for a longer time; walk faster; find hills to walk up; walk up stairs; swing your arms more vigorously; try alternating your walking pace with some gentle jogging; set goals for your walking and track your progress.”
Medical and fitness professionals agree that adding weight training to any exercise program is a good idea, but it should be separate from a walking routine. Working out with weights increases metabolism, which causes the body to burn more calories; it strengthens bones and it improves strength and flexibility, which reduces the risk of injury. But the best way to work out with weights is at home or at the gym, not while walking.