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Walking Your Way to Fitness

Fitness is a very subjective thing. What some folks consider fit, others consider obsessive. And what many consider a normal workout, many others consider torture. Whether your fitness goal is to be able to walk up three flights of stair without passing out, playing with your grandchildren without needing a bench nearby, or climbing every 14,000-foot peak in the continental US, the first steps start with actually taking a first step. With any exercise regime, talk to your doctor before starting. It is quite common, even the norm, for a doctor to recommend that patients start exercising by walking. The rest is up to you. Follow your doctor’s recommendations.

Getting Started
First things first: good shoes. Be sure to have or purchase shoes designed for walking or running. Shoes should be comfortable and offer plenty of support. Next, loosen up by stretching mildly. The following is a nice warm up program:

Warm up: Spend 30 seconds each on these five simple warm-up moves: 

• Ankle circles: Stand on one foot and lift the other off the ground. Slowly flex that raised ankle through its full range of motion, making circles with the toes. Do 6-8 circles in each direction. Switch feet and repeat. 
• Leg swings: Stand on one leg and swing the other loosely from the hip, front to back, in a relaxed, unforced motion. Your foot should swing no higher than a foot or so off the ground. Do 15-20 swings on each leg. 
• Pelvic loops: Place your hands on your hips with your knees gently bent and feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your body upright and make 10 slow circles with your hips, pushing them gently forward, left, back, and right. Reverse directions and repeat. 
• Arm circles: Hold both arms straight out from your sides, palms down, making yourself into the letter T. Make 10-12 slow backward circles with your hands, starting small and finishing with large circles using your entire arm. Shake your arms out and repeat with 10-12 forward circles.

How Far?
Just how far you can go is up to you. Only go as far as you are comfortable attempting as you begin. Start at a slow pace. Gradually lengthen your distance and increase your pace in the days and weeks to come. Start by walking down the driveway and maybe around the block today and maybe a little farther tomorrow.

Health experts over the last couple of years have been encouraging Americans to take 10,000 steps per day. The average is about 1,800 steps per mile, so 10,000 during the day equates to 5.5 miles. Many of us take thousands of steps throughout the day. Many people find that purchasing and wearing a pedometer shows them a surprising number of steps throughout the day and lets you know how many more you have to go to reach your daily goal.

Burning Calories
Walking plays an important role in weight loss. Just how many calories you burn while walking depends on a number of variables. Your weight, pace, distance, duration, and terrain will all factor into your caloric rate. A 180-pound person walking at a medium pace for 30 minutes will burn approximately 150 calories. To lose one pound, you must burn 3500 calories. This tool Calories-burned provided by WebMD shows you calories burned during various activities.

Have Fun
Walking doesn’t have to be boring or painful, heck it can even be fun. The following is a list of ideas from Prevention to put variety in your walking activity:

• Make it a game -- Walk as long as it takes to spot, say, three red cars. Then set a new game objective, and keep on walking.
• Follow a new lead -- Let your dog set the pace.
• Entertain a party -- Plan a progressive dinner where each course is a walk away from the next. Start with healthy appetizers at one house, the main course at the next stop a couple of miles away, and dessert at the third.
• Travel an unmapped course -- Don't plan your route. Instead, make decisions at every turn based on what looks interesting. Follow a curious-looking winding street to its end, or a hill to its top view.
• Dust 'em -- Pick a walker on your path who seems a bit more fit and faster than you. Then try to pass her.
• Enjoy a mini-getaway -- Plan an itinerary that takes you and a friend on a brisk, hour-long walk ending at a coffee shop. Or have breakfast before heading off for your favorite antique store, then browse a while before starting for home.
• Feed the birds -- Bring along bread crumbs or maybe the Sunday paper to read on a stop in the park.
• Play it by ear -- For an interval workout, bring your MP3 player. Speed up whenever you hear a fast song.

Make a Statement
The power of walking doesn’t end with fitness. By walking, you are freeing yourself of your surroundings for a period of time. You can take this time to think about work, play, your future, or just take in your surroundings. Walking also makes a statement to others. You tell others that you value your health and your environment when you walk. You show yourself and others that one can indeed get around without motorized transportation. And maybe, just maybe, you will encourage someone else to strap on their walking shoes and hit the road for health. Think about it, you might just be changing the world with every step.