On a Brisk Walk, Pull Your Weight and Nothing More

Question: What are the benefits and liabilities of walking with hand weights?

Answer: I don’t recommend dumbbells, wrist weights or ankle weights for walking. Using them increases your risk of injury because it can strain your neck, back and shoulders. The weights also can throw off your body alignment, making it difficult to maintain correct arm movements and proper posture. And weights that are light enough to hold when walking aren’t heavy enough to increase strength. If the reason you use weights is to increase the intensity of your walking workout, I’d suggest instead that you walk at a slightly faster pace or include some hills on your route. To build muscle or just tone up, take the time to work out with weights separately from your walks.

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Stephanie Oakes is the fitness correspondent for Discovery Health Channel and a health/fitness consultant. Send questions by e-mail to stephoakes@aol .com. She cannot respond to every query.