$Unique_ID{BRK01955} $Pretitle{} $Title{And the Turtle Wins . . . in the Race of Health} $Subject{exercise exercises exercising calorie calories health healthy benefit benefits advantage advantages walk walker walking run runner running burn burned fat cardiovascular reserve reserves heart blood pressure immune system} $Volume{} $Log{ Exercise has Overall Benefits*0003209.scf Exercise Helps Strength and Flexibility*0003204.scf Exercise Increases HDL*0002703.scf Exercise Increases Metabolism*0003205.scf Exercise Lowers Triglycerides and Raises HDL*0003203.scf Exercise Strengthens the Heart*0003202.scf} Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc. And the Turtle Wins . . . in the Race of Health ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ QUESTION: Would you be willing to solve a small problem for me? Please compare two men who are exercising. One is walking, and finishes 3 miles in 1 hour. The other covers the same course by running at 6 miles an hour. Who is burning the most calories? Do both exercise periods yield the same health benefits? I am sure there must be a formula for all of this. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ANSWER: Great question! Even though math is not one of my strong points, there are some simple formulas to help. For the purposes of a valid comparison, I chose to make both men the same age, 45 years old, both weigh 175 pounds, and both are 5 foot 10 inches tall. That's pretty average. The walker covers the course at 3 miles per hour and burns 278 calories. Not bad. The runner, at 6 miles per hour, covers the same course in 30 minutes, and burns . . . 278 calories. His only advantage is that he finishes faster. However, since the slow walker had a longer sustained period of exercise, it is probable that he burned more fat than the runner did, since we gain our calories from fat and lose them after a sustained exercise of 20 minutes or more. Since his pulse rate was elevated for a longer period of time, he most probably improved his cardiovascular reserves. That means he strengthened his heart a bit, probably had a positive effect on any elevated blood pressure, and gave a boost to his immune system. These answers are easy to explain. Since the formula for caloric burn from exercise depends upon distance, sex, age, and your height and weight, the results are the same for both men in this example. However, if you wish to include the other benefits of exercise in a calculation of health benefits, time plays an important role. Thus the person who exercises for longer periods of time, or works out more frequently, will show the greatest gains. All of this may be quite pleasing to you if you are the slower man in the example, as I suspect you are. I know it gives me a measure of satisfaction as the younger guys fly past me on the track, yet are long gone by the time I have finished. For I know, as you now know, that it is indeed the turtle who often wins the race; for health, that is. If you doubt me, check out the life expectancy of a turtle versus a hare. ---------------- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical problem.