John Imbergamo, a restaurant consultant, drives to work every day, but he takes time to take a slow walk every day, sometimes in the Washington Park near his home, and sometimes from his office to the downtown where his clients are located. Imbogamo is 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 280 pounds. Walking is his main form of exercise. He said: "I like walking, which is easier than driving my car, especially in the city." Walking helps me keep the right weight. "
Browning said that strenuous exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases, but walking slowly can help people stay active and relieve joint stress. Obese adults are more likely to get knee arthritis, which can cause pain and stiffness.
Browning, a former professional triathlete, said: "We are not advocating reducing physical exercise or strenuous activities. We just say that walking slowly is a way to burn more calories. " Browning and his research team believe that walking at a leisurely pace will reduce the pressure on people's lower body.
Previous studies have shown that a normal-weight person tries to walk like an obese person. He tied a heavy object to his leg and found that he needed 50% to 100% more energy to walk. Recent studies have found that obese people only consume 10% more energy than lighter people.
Browning said: "It seems that obese people have a way to make them walk more easily." Browning's team speculated that obese people would stretch their legs more straight when walking, so that their bones would support more weight than their muscles, or they would walk at smaller and faster steps, all of which would make them consume less calories.