Walking: A Way to Health &

Fitness!

by Laura Hartung MA, RD Certified Personal

Trainer

www.laurahartungrd.com

Fitness Walking – Steps in the Right Direction!

If exercise were a pill – we’d all be taking it!

Decrease your risk of a heart attack Decrease your chance of developing

diabetes Helps control your weight Improve your muscle tone Promote over all sense of wellness

MOVE MORE!! Walk 2000 steps MORE each day and never

gain another pound!

Says Dr. James Hill of the Center for Human Nutrition at the university of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

To LOSE WEIGHT..add MORE!

MOVE MORE! Sedentary people in the USA only move 2000- 3000

steps a day.

Previous studies have shown that moving 6000 steps a day significantly reduces risk of death.

8000-10,000 steps promotes weight loss.

How far is a 2000 steps? About a mile – but the benefits for weight management don’t depend on you walking a mile all at once, but simply adding on more during the day!

Let’s Move! Getting Families More Active to Fight Childhood Obesity!

Girls 6 to 17 – At least 11,000 steps/day

Boys 6 to 17 - At least 13,000 steps/day

Adults 18 or older - At least 8,500 steps/day

Getting Started!• 78% of U.S. population is considered sedentary

• Contact your doctor if you haven’t been exercising regularly & are a male over 45 or a woman over 55

• Get in touch with your motivators

• Set realistic & specific goals

• Prepare for potential obstacles

• Buy comfortable clothing & supportive

Pedometers Count Steps By wearing a pedometer all day, you are motivated to add in

extra steps whenever you can.

There are many little trips that can add up to a mile or two a day!

Parking further from the door of your destination, taking the stairs rather than the elevator, pace around as you talk on the telephone, take a marching-in-place once an hour.

All in all, it is entertaining to ponder that such a seemingly insignificant gadget may be of practical importance in the war on obesity!” said Catrine Tudor-Locke, Ph.D., Department of Exercise and Wellness, Arizona State University in the conclusion of a report by the President’s Council Physical Fitness & Sports.

Start Counting Your Steps! Buy a step counting pedometer.

Set your pedometer.

Wear your pedometer throughout the day.

See how many steps you take on an average day, then add 2000 steps to set your daily walking goal.

Chart your steps each day.

Make a game or challenge of it with the free Webwalking USA Program.

Choosing the right shoes! Buy shoes at an athletic store.

Shop when your feet are the largest & wear the same socks you’ll wear walking.

Buy shoes to fit your larger foot & maintain a half-inch space between your longest toe & the end of the shoe.

Choose shoes that are right for your type of foot.

Walk in the shoes before buying them.

Replace shoes every 300-600 miles.

OVERLOAD PRINCIPLETo make physical improvements, you need to work your body harder than usual.

• FREQUENCY: How often you walk. For beginners,

consider starting with 2-3 sessions per week.

• INTENSITY: How hard you exercise. For example, the pace you walk or your heart rate count.

Walking a mile in 15 - 20 minutes is considered moderate intensity.

• TIME: How long you walk. Benefits begin with 10 min

bouts of exercise.

Everyday Fitness Ideas Take several frequent 5-10 minute walks

throughout the day. Stand instead of sit; walk instead of stand Take stairs Park at a distance Get what you want instead of asking

someone to get it for you Use a pedometer to measure daily steps

Components of a walking program

Warm-up (5 minutes)

Stretches (5 minutes)

Walking (30 minutes)

Cool-down (5 minutes)

Proper Walking Technique Head up. Look forward. Keep chin parallel to

the ground.

Swing arms in a natural motion.

Walk smoothly, rolling your foot from heel to toe.

Back is straight. Stomach muscles slightly contracted.

Do not use hand weights while walking

Stretching Stretch to warm up muscles

Stretch gently and slowly

Repeat each stretch 3 times

For cool-down: Walk slowly and then repeat stretches

How much – how often?• Health benefits of exercise begin at 30

min, 4 days/week

• To improve physical fitness, you may want to raise the bar

• You should be able to hold a conversation when walking.

• Use Rating of Perceived Exertion: 1 (very weak)

to 10 (extremely difficult). 3-4 for health, 7-8 for fitness

Calf Stretch

Hamstring Stretch

Quad Stretch

Lower Back Stretch

Safety Precautions

Carry ID and cell phone Use proper footwear Don’t wear headphones Walk against the traffic Wear reflective material when dark Choose safe walking course and level

paths

Injuries Rest the injured muscle. Do a different

type of exercise that doesn’t aggravate the injury.

Apply ice for first 48 hours if there is swelling. Alternate cold and heat after 48 hours. Take OTC pain medication for a few days.

Wrap the injury with a stretchy bandage.

Sarcopenia: SAR-co-PEEN-yuh The loss of muscle tissue as we age.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t reached the public’s radar screen the way osteoporosis has.

People know they need to keep their bones strong but feel they don’t have to worry about sarcopenia.

45% of U.S. adults 65 and other suffer from some age related muscle wasting. And it’s not just a matter of losing the strength they had in their 20’s.

Why do we lose muscle mass? Slowdown in muscle metabolism as we age Too little muscle stimulating physical

activity Genetic differences Gender differences Hormonal deficiencies Change in diet Loss of nerve cells

We don’t just lose strength

Decreased metabolism

Muscle marbling

Weaker bones

Poorer balance

Reasons to lift weights! Decreases risk of developing diabetes

Improves ratio of good cholesterol (HDL) to bad cholesterol (LDL)

Relieves arthritis

Keeps mitochondria (power house of the cell)

younger!

More muscle more metabolic active tissue; meaning you burn more calories

at rest!

Great for the skin both cardio & weight training gives a radiance & glow no make-up can match helps build collagen

Sample Beginner Program 2-3 nonconsecutive days per week

1 set to start with; 2 sets after first month

30-60 second rest periods between sets

10-12 repetitions; increase weight when 12 reps are comfortable

Select exercises that utilize large muscle groups

Change routine every 6-12 weeks!

Top Five Reasons to Exercise You’ll lower your risk for the nations top

three killers: heart disease, cancer and stroke.

You’ll smile more!

You’ll get sick less often!

You’ll be mentally sharp!

You’ll live longer!

My Dad! Ed Hartung – still going strong @ 80!

Little Susie..still spry @ 73!

WINTER OBSTACLES Internal:

Less motivated Less energy Seasonal Affective Disorder

External: cold, darkness, road conditions

Blah, blah, blah!

BREAK THROUGH THE BARRIERS

CONFRONT THE EXCUSES

SET YOUR GOALS

STICK WITH THE PLAN

JUST DO IT!

Don’t think “all or nothing!”

Self Assessment: What do you want from of an exercise program?

Weight loss? Mental clarity? Mood booster? Stress reduction? Time alone? Improved quality

of life?

Exercise??? I’m too busy to exercise!

With ALL these great reasons to exercise, why aren’t you?

Staying Motivated!

Schedule your workouts, make exercise non-negotiable!

Find a fitness partner or entertain yourself.

Dress the part!

Start an exercise log, set goals & evaluate your progress.

Stop beating yourself up!

Re-evaluate your goals!

Get Going!

Continually plan!

Exercise Compliance: Staying Motivated

If you always do what you always did than you’ll always get what you always got!

Useful Resources www.Walking.about.com FITNESS 9 TO 5 - Chronicle Books, 2006

American College of Sports Medicine’s Resources for the Personal Trainer 2005

Strong Women Stay Young by Miriam Nelson, PhD, 2000

Tufts University Health and Nutrition Newsletter Newsletter February

President’s Council on Physical Fitness (PCPFS) @ www.fitness.gov

The National Institute of Aging @ www.niapublications.org

The Perricone Weight Loss Diet – Dr Nicolas Perricone - 2005

Body For Life – Bill Phillips  www.presidentchallenge.org

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