"Slow walking with turns" increases quadriceps and erector spinae muscle activity

[Purpose] To maintain an independent lifestyle, older adults should improve muscle strength and mass, or aerobic capacity. A new exercise pattern, called slow walking with turns, which incorporates turning as an extra load additional to walking. The purpose of this study was to measure oxygen consumption during exercise and muscle activity while turning. [Subjects and Methods] Recreationally active volunteers participated. The participants performed 20 turns per minute while walking back and forth over distances of 1.5 to 3.5 m. We measured oxygen consumption, heart rate, and rating of perceived exertion and performed electromyography during the exercise. [Results] The metabolic equivalents of the exercise were 4.0 ± 0.4 to 6.3 ± 4.0 Mets. Activity was significantly greater in the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and erector spinae during the turn phase of slow walking with turns than during the stance phase of treadmill walking. [Conclusion] These findings suggest that slow walking with turns may help to preserve the muscle strength and mass of the trunk and lower limbs that are needed to maintain an independent lifestyle. Slow walking can be performed easily by older people, and in slow walking with turns, the exercise intensity can be adjusted as required for each individual.