Tea bag walking is an exercise that involves walking in slow, small steps. Believed to increase the inefficiency of physical activity, it has become an alternative to traditional forms of exercise.This method of walking was inspired by the comedy his group Monty Python and promotes public health. It has gained popularity as a way to
A Monty Python-inspired study argues that reducing the efficiency of physical activity could have significant public health benefits.
Research published in BMJMore suggests that adults can reach global physical activity goals by simply walking in an inefficient manner for a few minutes each day.
Despite efforts to increase physical activity among adults and improve cardiovascular health, global rates of physical inactivity have remained unchanged over the past two decades.
The inefficient gait styles of Mr. Teabag and Mr. Putey, played by John Cleese and Michael Palin in the 1971 Monty Python silly walk sketch, have been shown to be more variable than their normal gaits but their energy expenditure has not been measured. .
To fill this important research gap, a team of US researchers set out to compare the energy expenditure of low- and high-efficiency walking.
Their findings were based on data from 13 healthy adults (6 females and 7 males) aged 22 to 71 years (mean age 34 years) with no history of heart or lung disease and no known gait disturbances. It is based on.
Height and weight were measured, and each participant was shown a video of a silly walk ministry sketch before walking three 5-minute indoor 30-meter courses.
In the first trial, participants walked in their usual style at a freely chosen pace. In his next two trials, participants were asked to replicate as closely as possible the gaits of Mr. Teabag and Mr. Pewty that they saw in the video.
Distance traveled in 5 minutes walking was used to calculate average speed. Oxygen uptake (mL/kg/min), energy expenditure (kcal/kg/min), and exercise intensity (METs) (calories burned per minute of physical activity) were also measured.
Researchers found that the tea bag walk alone significantly increased energy expenditure, about 2.5 times that of regular walking.
For men and women combined, oxygen uptake during normal walking was 11.3 mL/kg/min (or 3.2 METs), which was similar to the putet walk (12.3 mL/kg/min, or 3.5 METs). bottom. However, the teabag walk induced an oxygen uptake of 27.9 mL/kg/min, or 8 METs, which corresponds to high-intensity exercise.
Regarding energy expenditure, just 1 minute of normal walking style and 1 minute of tea bag walking were associated with increased energy expenditure of 8 kcal/min in men and 5 kcal/min in women. rice field.
Researchers estimate that adults can achieve 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week by walking tea bag style for about 11 minutes a day instead of their normal style. Also, replacing normal style steps with tea bag style steps he about 12-19 minutes a day increases energy expenditure by about 100 kcal per day.
This amount of teabag-style walking may increase cardiopulmonary fitness, reduce mortality risk, and replace the exercise that adults are already doing with a higher-energy physical activity that may not require an extra time commitment. Expensive, they added.
This is an experimental study based on a small sample, and the researchers believe that some people, including those with disabilities, gait disturbances, joint disease, or other health conditions, may not be able to perform the pute or tea bag walk. “But if you don’t, you might be able to target inefficiency and increase energy expenditure in your daily movements,” they say.
They also note that short bursts of physical activity of 1-2 minutes accumulated over time may provide cardiovascular benefits.
“Analysis of the energy expended in different styles of walking helps people move their bodies in a more energetic and hopefully enjoyable way,” they wrote. “Efforts to improve cardiovascular fitness must embrace inclusivity and inefficiency for all.”
Reference: “Quantifying the benefits of inefficient walking: A lab-based experimental study inspired by Monty Python,” Glenn A Gaesser, David C Poole, Siddhartha S Angadi, 21 December 2022, Available here. BMJMore.
DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-072833
