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q While trying to get fit and lose weight, I want to avoid getting injured. Which is better for me: running or fast walking? How long should I work out and how many days each week?

a "Running will burn more calories per minute, but you've got to walk before you can run," says exercise physiologist Reed Humphrey, Ph.D., P.T., a professor of physical therapy at Idaho State University in Pocatello. "There's a greater risk of injury if you start running without a good foundation."

Here are the calorie-burn stats for a 145-pound woman, walking for 30 minutes at:

* a 20-minute-per-mile pace burns about 114 calories.

* a 15-minute-mile pace burns 157 calories.

For a 145-pound woman, running for 30 minutes at:

* a 10-minute-mile pace burns about 348 calories.

* an 8-minute-mile pace burns about 435 calories.

Humphrey recommends that you start by walking for 30 minutes five days a week at a brisk pace. After two weeks, gradually introduce running on alternate days in the middle of your workout. For in-stance, after about 15 minutes, run for 30 seconds to one minute, then go back to walking. Continue alternating bouts of running with walking, gradually increasing the length of the running segments. Once you can comfortably run for 30 consecutive minutes (always allowing for a five-minute warm-up and a five-minute cool-down), you can start increasing your intensity. Working up to a 30-minute run could take as little as four weeks or up to several months, depending on your fitness level.

Because running involves much more pounding than walking, joggers have a significantly higher rate of injury to muscles, tendons and joints. To lessen their chance of getting hurt, new runners should alternate running and walking days, resisting the temptation to quickly increase weekly mileage, Humphrey says. If you gradually work up to 15 miles a week (five miles, three times a week, for instance)--certainly sufficient for weight loss, assuming you're also watching your calorie intake--then you have a good chance of running injury-free.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:20 AM