General walking

Question
Hi. I have a very old walking machine..no programs to be ran..I can adust the speed manually by a handle..It goes between 1.5 and 5 mph. Its not completely flat buy not adjustable incline wise so I walk on an incline. My question is this.. At 2.0 mph for 30 min am I burning fat or maybe 2.5 mph. I can stay in my target heart zone of 60-70%. Is it doing my overall health any good at this speed. I walk outside or even stationary sometimes..In 30 min I average about 4300 steps and around 1.4 to 1.5 miles. Just not sure what or where I need to be to help bith weight loss and genral health.

Thanx Shawn

Answer
Shawn:

At any exercise intensity you will be burning both fat and carbohydrate. It is true that below 60% there is relatively more fat burned than carbo, but that does not mean you should go slower. 60-70% of max heart rate for 30 minutes is a good exercise zone for aerobic conditioning, and don't worry about the walking speed it takes to hit that heart rate.

As for weight loss, it is only necessary to eat the fewer calories than you use each day to lose weight. There is no magic diet so I urge you to focus on healthy foods. Following an exercise program while losing weight will allow your body to hold on to healthy tissue while dropping fat weight. For best results in health or weight loss I suggest you exercise evey day. Just make it a part of your life any way possible. The benefits FAR outweigh the time spent.

Good luck and keep up the good work.

Scott Demaree