Rothstein Quoted on Walking Workouts

As seen in Newsweek, Alexander Rothstein, M.S., coordinator and instructor for the Exercise Science, B.S. program, discussed whether a popular social media walking trend has real fitness benefits. The growing TikTok fad, known as the “hot girl walk,” is an outdoor mindfulness walk encouraging users to meet specific step counts. Rothstein notes that, while walking can provide physical and mental health advantages, people should focus more on elevating their heart rate vs. setting a daily step count goal. Because the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity five days per week or a minimum of 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity three days per week, he explains that heart rate is a more accurate indicator of whether walkers are meeting these guidelines. 

“Walking to add steps to one’s day will not count towards the recommended exercise based on the ACSM guidelines. This is because the stimulus from walking will not be high enough to elicit fitness benefits and won’t be classified as exercise but will fit into the physical activity parameter. However, elevated heart rate is one way to measure exercise intensity and the time spent in certain heart rate zones can be counted towards the recommended exercise guideline,” says Rothstein.