The Best Hand Weights For Exercising While Walking

Staying fit and maintaining your weight is a lifelong endeavor, and it can be challenging. So it's not unusual to look for ways to gain an edge during workouts if you're a fitness buff or on a weight-loss plan. One of these methods includes walking with hand weights. However, even with the best hand weights, you may be doing more harm than good during your workout.

The Premise

Advocates of using hand weights while walking claim it increases the efficiency of a workout. Walking is a cardiovascular activity, which helps to burn calories. However, fans of walking with hand weights believe it increases calorie burning. Also, using hand weights is supposed to help tone your arms and upper body, thereby adding a strength-building component to walking.

The Reality

Walking with hand weights does not significantly increase calorie burning. You'll burn only about 20 or 30 more calories in one hour, according to the authors of "Fitness for Dummies." Also, using hand weights during walking can be dangerous. It throws your gait and balance off and increases your risk of a joint or muscle injury. Also, it does little to tone your upper body. If a weight is light enough for you to tote with you during a walk, it's not heavy enough to stress your muscles and stimulate muscle growth.

Choosing the Best Hand Weight

If walking with hand weights is still appealing to you, make sure you use only a light weight. At the beginning, start with a 1/2 or 1 lb. weight. The weight should never exceed 10 percent of your body weight, according to the U.C. Berkeley Wellness Newsletter. Hand weights with straps and rubber grips reduce the likelihood that the weight can slip out of your hand.

Alternative to Hand Weights

Swinging your arms more vigorously is a safer way to boost your heart rate and burn more calories than using hand weights. If you want to take swinging your arms up a notch, try walking with lightweight, rubber-tipped trekking poles. Your motion during walking will be similar to cross-country skiing. This increases muscle activity in your arms, chest and abdominals, and minimizes stress on your knees, according to the U.C. Berkeley Wellness Newsletter. Look for these poles in sporting goods stores. To build upper-body strength, do exercises such as pushups or biceps and triceps curls with dumbbells during a separate workout.

Caution

Do not use hand weights if you have high blood pressure, heart disease or any joint problems, including arthritis. When buying trekking poles, make sure they're appropriate for your height, or buy adjustable models. Your forearms should remain level with the ground as your arm moves forward.