Walking is the exercise most recommended by physicians and a superlative way to achieve cardiovascular fitness. Convenient, inexpensive, and easy on your joints, walking helps reduce stress, burn fat, and speed up your metabolism.
Taking the First Steps Toward Better Health
The American Heart Association, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American College of Physicians recommend regular physical activity to help reduce the risk of heart disease; all prescribe brisk walking for at least thirty minutes three times per week. In his best-selling book, Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease, Dean Ornish, MD, recommends walking thirty minutes a day, or for one hour three times a week, as part of his program proven to reduce heart disease by combining moderate exercise, a low-fat vegetarian diet, and stress-reduction techniques. Need more news to get you moving? A recent report in the American Journal of Public Health says people who walk regularly are less likely to lose mobility as they age. Before beginning any new type of exercise program, it's always wise to receive a medical checkup and your doctor's approval. Exercise physiologists Frank Katch, PhD, and William McArdle, PhD, authors of Introduction to Nutrition, Exercise and Health, recommend that you begin a walking program slowly, with fifteen to twenty minutes of easy walking. As your stamina increases, add more walking time, comfortably building up to forty to sixty minutes of brisk walking at least three times a week.
Stretching, Warm Up, and Cool-Down
Whether you plan a brisk walk around the block or a speedy stride-stretching, warm-up, and cool down should always be a part of your routine. Proper preparation will help you prevent muscle soreness and injury, increase flexibility, and reap the maximum benefits from your workout.
While stretching before a workout is important, post-workout stretching-when muscles are warm and most responsive-is even more vital. The best type of stretching is static, or slow and gentle. Don't bounce; it only invites injury.
- For the lower leg, try a calf stretch. Lean against a wall or a tree if you're outdoors. Extend your right leg back and lean forward onto your left leg, which should be slightly bent. Hold for thirty seconds. Repeat for the other leg.
- To stretch the lower calf and achilles tendon, bend your right knee and hold, keeping the heel pressing downward. Do the same for the other leg.
- For a good hamstring stretch, lean against a wall or tree and extend your right leg forward with heel up. Bend your left leg and lean your upper body slightly forward. You should feel the stretch in the back of the thigh. Hold thirty seconds, then repeat with the other leg.
- To stretch the quadricep, or front of the thigh, grab the ankle of the right leg, and gently press toward the buttocks while keeping your body straight. Hold for thirty seconds. Repeat on the other leg.
- The chest expander is an effective upper body stretch. Clasp your hands behind you, resting them on your buttocks. Straighten both arms, inhale, and expand your chest. Raise your chin to the ceiling and hold for five seconds. Release hands and repeat. After stretching, warm-up at a gentle pace for five to ten minutes before increasing to a brisk stride. After your workout, take at least five more minutes to cool down by gradually decreasing your pace. This allows your heart to drop to its normal rate. Complete your workout with ten minutes of slow stretching, holding each stretch for thirty to forty seconds.
Walk This Way
Proper walking requires more than just putting one foot in front of the other. Correct posture, arm swing, and stride can increase exercise intensity while lowering risk of injury. When walking, contract your abdominals, raise your chest, and allow your arms to swing naturally. Make your stride long and fluid; the American Podiatric Medical Association recommends that you land heel first, then roll forward, pushing off on the ball of your foot. Lean slightly forward from the ankles, not the waist, which will only strain your back and make breathing more difficult. Keep your head level and your chin up. For a more intense workout, simply pick up the pace. Pump bent arms at chest level and quicken your steps.
To achieve maximum cardiovascular benefits, aim for an ideal "training heart rate"-60 to 90 percent of the fastest your heart can beat in a minute. To figure your maximum heart rate, subtract your age in years from 220 and multiply the result by 0.6 and 0.9 to determine the bottom and top of your aerobic training target zone. If you can walk a mile in under 15 minutes, you're definitely heading in the right direction. Another foolproof plan for finding your perfect pace is the talk test. During a workout, you should be able to carry on a conversation-though it may be a bit halted. If you find yourself struggling to complete a single sentence, slow down. You're moving too fast. As your stamina improves, challenge yourself with interval training-short bursts of intense exercise-that can increase the number of calories burned and improve aerobic capacity. Try this simple formula: Walk briskly for approximately ten minutes then increase the intensity for sixty seconds in one of the following ways: walking up a hill, walking faster, jogging, or sprinting. (Intervals of running will burn the most calories.) Return to your original brisk, comfortable pace, which will allow you time to recover. Then repeat. Gradually build intervals up to two or three minutes and scatter them throughout your workout to keep it interesting.
Need some extra motivation to get moving? Schedule regular walks with a friend or vary your workout routes. Walking tapes are a great way to bend your ear while you break a sweat. When you tune in, be sure to practice common sense. Be aware of your surroundings and never increase the volume so that you're unable to hear what's going on around you. Don't use headphones if you're walking alone in a deserted area, exercising at night, or in heavy traffic. (See Resources sidebar, page 41, for walking tapes.)
A few more words of advice before you're on your way: wear loose, comfortable clothing and keep a water bottle handy at all times, especially in hot weather. Keep hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids before, after, and even during, when the temperature soars.
Move It and Lose It
Walking is an ideal exercise for losing weight. Drs. Katch and McArdle recommend that overweight individuals build up to walking sixty minutes a day, seven days a week to help reduce excess fat. Though this large daily dose may seem daunting, it doesn't have to be done all at once. As long as the total each day is sixty minutes or more, it can be split into ten, twenty, or thirty minute sessions. Always remember to warm up for five to ten minutes before brisk walking.
Thinking on Your Feet
Combine movement with meditation and experience a spirit-expanding stroll that exercises both body and mind. At San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, thousands of people have gathered for meditation walks along a 40 foot spiral labyrinth, modeled after the sacred spiral pattern in the floor of the 12th century Chartres Cathedral in France. "The labyrinth can be a tremendous help in quieting the mind," says Reverend Lauren Artress, PhD, founder of Grace Cathedral's Labyrinth Project and author of Walking A Sacred Path. At Chartres and other great European cathedrals, medieval pilgrims would end their religious pilgrimages with a ritual walk along the sacred labyrinth. "Movement," says Dr. Artress, "takes away the excess charge of energy that disturbs our efforts to quiet our thought processes."
Walking meditation programs can prove instrumental in healing both body and mind. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center and author of the best-selling book, Wherever You Go There You Are, has used this approach to treat stress-related disorders, chronic disease, and pain. His encouraging results have been featured on Bill Moyers' PBS series, "Healing the Mind." Research studies by Dr. Herbert Benson, founder and president of the Mind/Body Clinic at Harvard Medical School, and author of the Relaxation Response and The Wellness Book, have revealed that walking combined with meditation promotes relaxation and reduces anxiety and depression.
According to Kabat-Zinn and Benson, the best way to begin a walking meditation is to count the number of steps you take as you breathe in and out-an activity that makes you acutely aware of both your breathing and walking. Try to keep the mind focused on breathing, counting each step in your mind as you inhale and exhale. As you progress, substitute a meaningful phrase, which helps to quiet the mind and promote awareness of your breathing and walking. Dr. Kabat-Zinn suggests reciting a favorite line from a poem, song, or prayer. Dr. Benson recommends repeating words such as "relax," "peace," or "love."
You don't have to be at Grace Cathedral to reap the meditative benefits of walking. All you need is a peaceful road, surrounded by nature's beauty.
The Well-Heeled Traveler
More and more people are discovering the appeal of touring a breathtaking destination by foot. Walking allows the opportunity to enjoy many details, sights, and smells otherwise missed by driving. At the same time, you're enjoying the rewards of exercise-an unbeatable combination!
If you want to walk en masse, walking tour outfitters have organized tours around the globe. They supply all the basics and perks, offering tour guides, lodging, and options for shorter or longer walks. You can also create your own walking vacation, by following clearly-marked trails in national parks and forests. (See Resources sidebar, page 41, to locate a walking trail or outfitter near you.)
Weather or Not
Don't let bad weather detour your walking plans. Shopping malls are a popular and inexpensive exercise option, especially if you visit one of the more than 2,000 malls nationwide that admit walkers before shopping hours. Treadmills are another tried-and-true way to keep you moving toward your fitness goals. A recent study conducted by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee found that treadmills burned more calories than other exercise machines including stationary bicycles, stair machines, rowers, and cross-country ski machines. According to the report, treadmills enable you to burn an average of 850 calories per hour, significantly more than the 627 calories zapped on a stair machine and 509 calories per hour cycled away on a stationary bicycle.
Treadmills range in price from under $300 to thousands of dollars. Higher-priced models often include high-tech computer features that let you set a course for your walk and count calories burned. Be thorough in your research of the machine's features, quality, and reliability; shop around to compare prices. Make sure you choose a treadmill appropriate for your body type and exercise needs. Motorized treadmills can help you maintain a good, steady pace and challenge you aerobically; non-motorized treadmills allow you to set your own speed. As always, remember to warm up properly-walk at a slow rate before increasing the pace.
Need some company while you're treading along? Walking videotapes can entertain and help you maintain momentum while using a treadmill. (See Resources, page 41.)
Sole Searching
As with any athletic endeavor, the right shoe is the first step in the right direction. Walking shoes provide the same basic support as running shoes, with one exception: they have a smoother sole. Many shoe manufacturers offer a wide variety of walking shoes to meet customers' diverse needs. Whether you have a narrow foot, a fallen arch, or just need extra cushion, take the time to find a shoe that suits your feet. Finally, think about the terrain you will travel. Will you be walking outdoors or in the mall? For example, hiking in the woods requires a thick-soled walking shoe. For a flat walking surface, a thinner sole will suffice.
Following are some tips from the American Podiatric Medical Association for getting the best shoe fit:
- Have your feet measured each time you shop.
- Always shop for shoes in the late afternoon, when your feet swell to their biggest size. If you're like most people, one foot is larger than the other, so always fit shoes to the larger foot.
- Be certain your heel isn't slipping out of the heel counter of the shoe. The ball of your foot should fit snugly yet comfortably in the widest part of the shoe.
- Test the shock absorbency of the sole by walking on different surfaces, such as wood and carpeted floors.
- The shoe is too tight if you can see the outline of your toes beneath the shoe. Here's a final footnote from Bob Carlson, author of Walking for Health, Fitness and Sport. Throw away shoes when they're worn out; heels that are worn down on the edges can throw your stride off kilter which may, over time, cause injury. On the other hand, if your soles are worn out, but the shoe's upper part is still in good shape, sole patching compounds or new soles can safely extend the life of a shoe. For more information about feet, shoe fit, walking, and finding a licensed podiatrist in your area, contact the American Podiatric Medical Association (page 41).
Practicing Safe Socks
Walking socks should be breathable, lightweight, and wick away sweat to help prevent blisters. One hundred percent cotton socks aren't necessarily the ideal choice; cotton absorbs and retains moisture, increasing the chance of skin irritations. Studies have revealed that acrylic and other synthetics are better moisture managers, though straight synthetics-unlike "breathable" cotton-tend to trap heat. What's the best? A blended sock of 15 to 20 percent cotton and the rest synthetic. Look for socks specifically made for walking. Many sock companies offer products with strategic cushioning-designed to decrease friction by reducing movement of the foot in the walking shoe-and extra heel padding.
Don't Wait...Walk!
Spring is in the air, so get out and walk, stroll, amble, and saunter through the woods, on the beach, in the mall, or around your neighborhood. As the song goes, "walk this way" toward looking and feeling great.
No comments:
Post a Comment