Sweat
A few years ago when I led the effort to add an exercise sport science requirement to the general education core at the college, a colleague expressed reservations. My colleague was keenly aware that the nation is seeing rising rates of obesity and diabetes. We were both aware of the magnitude of the problem, partially confirmed later by a number two ranking among nations for a body mass index over 25. And we both understood the benefit of exercise as part of a program to reduce obesity. He is a year one boomer, just over a decade ahead of me. I sit somewhere near the tail end of the boomers, depending on where one decides the boomers end.
My colleague's concern was that the requirement ought to involve sweating. Lots of sweating. A significant effort. Were he a runner, he might have required students in courses to work out at 75% of their age rated maximum heart rate. Or some significant percentage of their VOmax. I concurred, but noted that for some students mere walking would be significant exercise. I had already measured students who while walking, not power walking - just basic walking, hit a heart rate of 160 beats per minute. Some of our students lack any reasonable level of muscle tone.
I knew that many students were best served by starting with walking, and even then some of the students would probably have to get a physical clearance from a doctor prior to engaging in walking. A Par-Q and a screening by the nurse would become a part of every class.
When I run in the evening, I am reminded of those conversations with my colleague by those I see walking for exercise along the road and at the PICS track. While for many walking is more than appropriate, it is their maximal effort, for others who have walked for years I wonder whether the benefits taper off as the body adjusts to the same continuous pace. Walking is better than sitting on the couch, but I know that I never really get a sense of my own physical condition until I tip over into my running pace.
I do walk on rare occasions, but walking on level terrain never feels like exercise. I have to be running. And sweating. Lots of sweat. And a that sense of childhood freedom - to run is to play. I watch my own kids playing outside. Playing is definitely not walking. It is running, jumping, tagging, and then sprinting off again. I have never felt that same sense of joy when walking. Running brings a momentary return to that hazily golden time of summer and being a kid. Running.
My colleague's concern was that the requirement ought to involve sweating. Lots of sweating. A significant effort. Were he a runner, he might have required students in courses to work out at 75% of their age rated maximum heart rate. Or some significant percentage of their VOmax. I concurred, but noted that for some students mere walking would be significant exercise. I had already measured students who while walking, not power walking - just basic walking, hit a heart rate of 160 beats per minute. Some of our students lack any reasonable level of muscle tone.
I knew that many students were best served by starting with walking, and even then some of the students would probably have to get a physical clearance from a doctor prior to engaging in walking. A Par-Q and a screening by the nurse would become a part of every class.
When I run in the evening, I am reminded of those conversations with my colleague by those I see walking for exercise along the road and at the PICS track. While for many walking is more than appropriate, it is their maximal effort, for others who have walked for years I wonder whether the benefits taper off as the body adjusts to the same continuous pace. Walking is better than sitting on the couch, but I know that I never really get a sense of my own physical condition until I tip over into my running pace.
I do walk on rare occasions, but walking on level terrain never feels like exercise. I have to be running. And sweating. Lots of sweat. And a that sense of childhood freedom - to run is to play. I watch my own kids playing outside. Playing is definitely not walking. It is running, jumping, tagging, and then sprinting off again. I have never felt that same sense of joy when walking. Running brings a momentary return to that hazily golden time of summer and being a kid. Running.
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