When I first started dieting the only exercises I incorporated into my plan were 8 minutes in the morning of weights and 3 or 4 days out of the week power walking. My girlfriends got me started on the walking. Having friends to talk with and watch me progress and give me encouragement was a boost to my self esteem and my mood.
I concentrated on my diet and eating and didn't want to overwhelm myself with too much exercise. I had started everything at once before and slowly gave up. I didn't want a repeat of what I had done in the past. Taking things slowly gave me time to digest everything I was doing and learning.
I love walking for the simple reason; I can grab a pair of good tennis shoes and workout anywhere I am. I never have an excuse even on vacation. My last big trip with my family involved walking a beautiful boardwalk every morning with the ocean on one side and dolphins jumping out of the water. Passerbys were people rollerblading, walking, or running. I felt like I was part of something really big and important. I was part of the health smart group of people who enjoyed being outside and exercising. It felt great!
Why not get started today with a walking regime. Here are some basics:
Benefits
Walking is good for your heart and can reduce high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
It Strengthens your bones and joints. For me walking is easier on my joints than high impact workouts. I love that it reduces my risk for osteoporosis something I am concerned about at my age.
Walking helps control your weight. A power walk elevates my heart rate and boosts my metabolism. I burn a ton of calories on my 4-1/2 mile to 5 mile walks.
Think of the benefits to your mind. When I walk it 's a stress relief. It helps with depression and I sleep soooo much better.
The Basics of Walking
Think Heel To Toe - Step forward landing squarely on the heel of your foot. Roll forward onto the ball of your foot. Raise the heel and push off with your big toe.
Strengthen and Stretch before you walk. Try these to get started: Strengthening and Stretching Demos
Find your Stride. When I walked with a friend her stride was a little shorter than mine. I was much taller and after she walked with me her joints and muscles were extremely sore. Slow walkers are 3 to 3.5 mph or 17 to 20 minutes per mile according to SparkPeople.com. Brisk walking is about 4mph or 15 minutes per mile and Fast walking or jogging is 5mph or 12 minutes per mile.
Be aware of posture. Stand tall, abs tight, back straight, head up.
Buy well fitting tennis shoes. Don't skimp on a good pair of walking or running shoes. I change mine every 3 months since I workout so much in them.
Bring some music along. I love having my Ipod along. I can listen to fast or quiet tunes to move or relax me.
Treadmills
When the weather gets cold and rainy and your workout can't wait treadmills can be an excellent solution. Check out these basics for treadmill walkers: Treadmill basics
Have A Little Fun
Spice it up a bit and try out one of these links to track your walking:
Get a little competitive, challenge yourself. See if you can go a little farther each week, sign up for a walk-a-thon for muscular dystrophy or walk for cancer. I walked with a friend in a "Walk for Warmth" walk-a-thon to raise money for people who couldn't pay their heating bills.
Track your calories and distance. I've included 2 calorie counters at the bottom of my blog so you can see how much you've burned once you finish your walk or run.
It's easy, it's fun and it's a great way to ease into exercise. It's something you can stick with and incorporate into your busy lifestyle.
What are you waiting for? Just get walking.
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