ACE, the American Council on Exercise, has just released
the (surprising!) results from a new study that measured
the health benefits of fitness walking with your baby in a
stroller. Research concludes that the intensity of the
activity is almost double than previously assumed, which is
great news for new moms everywhere.
Funded by ACE, researchers at the University of Wisconsin
enrolled 15 physically active women, ages 19 to 41 into the
study. To establish a fitness baseline, all of the women
were given a maximal exercise test on a treadmill that
measured their oxygen usage, heart rate, and levels of
perceived exertion. The women were then given two exercise
test sessions while pushing a baby in a stroller.
During the first stroller workout, women walked on a
treadmill at 3 mph for 20 minutes, with the strollers
weighted to 35 pounds (to mimic a one-year-old baby and
diaper bag). Every four minutes the incline was adjusted
from flat, to 2.5%, to 5%, and to 7.5% grade. The second
test session used the same protocol but at the increased
speed of 3.5 mph. Participants heart rates, oxygen usage,
and rate of perceived exertion were measured throughout
both tests.
While it came as no surprise that walking with a stroller
burned more calories than walking alone, or that an
increase in the speed and/or incline upped the work load,
what surprised researchers was the extent of the
difference. They discovered that walking with a stroller
burned approximately 18 to 20% more calories than fitness
walking alone. At that rate, the average woman would burn
about 375 to 440 calories per hour—an intensity rate
of 4 an 5 METS—which is equivalent to riding a
bicycle at 10 mph. (MET values are used to gauge exercise
intensity and allow for comparison of different types of
activities.)
Previous estimates, as sited by The Compendium of Physical
Activity, evaluated walking with a stroller at 2.5 METS, or
about half the intensity that the current study has
documented.
To maintain or improve health, it's recommended that people
perform regular aerobic exercise at a moderate intensity
level, and this study confirms that fitness walking with
you baby in a stroller meets those goals. Stroller based
exercise programs like Baby Boot Camp or Stroller Strides,
which incorporate strength and flexibility exercises into
their workouts, can provide even greater health benefits.
Given the new mother's hectic lifestyle, stroller fitness
walking is an easy, economical, and fun way to improve
health, lose weight, and connect with other new moms at the
same time.
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Helene Byrne, founder of BeFit-Mom at
http://www.befitmom.com , is a perinatal exercise
specialist, and author of the acclaimed book "Exercise
After Pregnancy: How to Look and Feel Your Best" and the
award winning DVD "Bounce Back Fast! Post Natal Core
Conditioning."
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