Every morning at 5 a.m., Wisconsin Public Radio host Larry Meiller laces up his hiking shoes, dons his WPR-logo ballcap and sets out for a walk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This daily movement keeps Meiller, an octogenarian, ready for everything from his radio show to the golf course. But is walking all you need to do to stay in shape?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Walking is certainly a healthy activity. Whether it\u2019s a complete workout depends on your cardio fitness, said physical therapists (and sisters) Jill Thein-Nissenbaum and Lori Thein Brody during one of their monthly appearances on \u201cThe Larry Meiller Show<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n News with a little more humanity<\/p>\n WPR\u2019s \u201cWisconsin Today\u201d newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re healthy and biking at a high intensity and running, walking isn\u2019t going to be a good enough cardiovascular activity for you,\u201d Thein-Nissenbaum said. \u201cIf you\u2019re new to exercise, walking may be a great way to start your exercise program.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s all about the intensity of your trekking. Pay attention to your heart rate, Thein-Nissenbaum said. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends<\/a> 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.\u00a0<\/p>\n You can gauge how hard you\u2019re working by doing the talk test<\/a>. If you can talk but not sing while walking, you have likely reached a heart rate that qualifies as moderate exercise.<\/p>\n Increase your heart rate by speeding up your pace or adding hills to your route. Thein Brody suggests fartlek training. Fartlek is Swedish for \u201cspeed play.\u201d To do a fartlek, mix easy walking with short bursts of faster walking.\u00a0<\/p>\n Think about mixing walking and strength training<\/p>\n