|
Ready to Walk
It’s the time of year when
many Americans try to get out for walks more often. Here are
a few tips to start walking in a way that helps you reach your
goals without getting injured or losing motivation.
The Gear: Forget the hand weights.
According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), they put
excessive stress on the elbows and shoulders. But walkers should
invest in appropriate shoes. Mark Fenton, host of the PBS series,
"America’s Walking" and national consultant on
walking programs, offers these hallmarks of a good walking shoe:
Hold the shoe by the heel and push up at the toe; it should flex
at the ball of the foot. Avoid shoes that bend through the arch,
as this can lead to painful inflammation of the heel and bottom
of the foot. Look for a heel that is rounded or beveled to allow
a rolling motion from heel to toe. |
|
Track Progress: If you’re
aiming for improved fitness, research shows you’ll likely
do better by keeping some sort of log. You can track time, distance
or steps (using a pedometer). The goal of 30 minutes of moderate
activity daily for overall health means walking about 3000 steps
or one-and-a-half to two miles in 30 minutes, whether you do
it all at once or in two or three smaller blocks of time.
Start by recording your current
walking for three to seven days. Fenton suggests creating a new
goal each week by adding 20 percent to the previous week’s
average step count. The same idea works if you track distance
or time. If you’re starting with 10 minutes a day, the next
week’s goal would be 12 minutes a day, the following week’s
14, and so on. Older adults may be better off taking two weeks
before moving to a new goal. You don’t have to hit the specific
target each day; some days may be a little more and some a little
less; keeping a log lets you track your average.
Avoid aches and injuries: Walking
posture is important: Stand tall with shoulders back and head
up. To increase your pace, Fenton emphasizes taking quicker,
not longer, steps. It’s easier to walk faster if you bend
your elbows and push off of your toes as you step.
Start off with a few minutes
of slow walking to warm up. An extra two minutes stretching when
you’re done pays off in avoiding aches. Experts at ACE especially
emphasize stretching the hamstrings and calves; hold each stretch
for 15 to 30 seconds, don’t bounce. If you experience aches
or pains, talk to your doctor. Federal exercise guidelines say
we don’t necessarily need to see a doctor before we start
walking. However, consult your health-care provider about appropriate
types and amounts of activity if you have a chronic condition
(such as diabetes, heart disease or arthritis), are pregnant
or have symptoms (such as chest pain or pressure, dizziness or
joint pain).
Know your goal: To improve fitness,
gradually increase your pace or start including hills. Or try
interval training, adding short bursts of a more vigorous pace.
If your goal is weight loss, increasing your walking to 30 minutes
a day may produce initial weight loss. But at some point, studies
suggest that to continue losing you may need to spend 45 to 60
minutes doing moderate activity or increase the intensity by
adding more vigorous activity. Along with boosting your activity,
you’ll lose weight more readily if you eat fewer calories.
Reducing portions or substituting foods to cut 100 to 200 calories
daily will make a difference if it’s continued daily. |
Print
Forums
Refer Page
