This page contains information to help you understand how fit you are and how walking can help you get, or stay, fit.

Ryan Phillips' 'Walker Specific' Workout" - Click this link to see a Workout that has been specially devised for GGHW by local Personal Fitness Trainer Ryan Phillips

Steps vs Calories

Have you wondered how calories burnt relate to steps taken?

We have kept records of our walk routes over several years. We use this information to work out which routes are best for the Cardio-respiratory system in terms of calories burnt per mile.

Recently, the WHI were asked a question relating to calories vs steps taken, which we were able to answer in general terms.

Using the figures for 2002, we calculate that on average 11.73 steps burns 1 calorie

It must be pointed out that this applies only to the individual that wore the recording devices, and only to their, speed, fitness level and stride length. Additionally, the terrain being walked (flat, or undulating) would have a direct affect on the calorie count.

As the figures have been calculated from records of 52 separate walks over 12 months, with distances between 2.7 and 19.8 miles and over different terrains, the step vs calorie ratio is likely to be very close to true average.

Target Heart Rate Zone (THRZ)

If you would like to know what the most appropriate exercise intensity is for you, just follow the method and formula below

Firstly, you need to determine your resting heart rate (RHR). This should be taken upon waking in the morning. It can be done with the aid of a Heart Monitor Watch, or by lightly placing the middle and index finger on either side of the cartoid pulse (in the neck) or radial pulse (in the wrist) and counting the beats over 60 seconds.

The target heart rate zone can then be calculated using Karvonen's formula:

220 - age - RHR x training percentage + RHR

The following is an example of calculating the target heart rate zone (50% to 85% maximal heart rate reserve to give optimum cardiovascular and fat burning benefit) of a 40 year old with a resting heart rate of 60 beats per minute (bpm)

50% : 220 - 40 = 180 - 60 = 120 x .5 = 60 + 60 = 120 (20) bpm minimum
85% : 220 - 40 = 180 - 60 = 120 x .85 = 102 + 60 = 162 (27) bpm maximum

This person's target heart rate zone would be 120 to 162 bpm
(Numbers in brackets are for a 10 second heart rate count)

The following table provides easy reference for participants wishing to determine a target heart rate zone between 50% and 85% maximal heart rate reserve.

To use the chart, you find the row that is closest to your age and the column that corresponds to your RHR. Where the column and row intersect will be the 10 second THRZ

The numbers show a 10 second heart rate zone and need to be multiplied by 6 to give the heart rate in bpm

This page was last updated on 24 February 2008

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