Walk off your weight

[YouPdWhat]

Walk Off Your Weight

BY KATHLEEN RENDA AND DAVID ROSENBAUM

You've been working at weight loss, but doing it the hard way: all diet, no exercise. Your kickboxing tape is still languishing in its cellophane wrapper; your hand weights are now doorstops. Perhaps you're holding out for a user-friendly fitness plan, one that doesn't require a life overhaul but still drops the pounds. Quit waiting: The best fat-blasting workout is here -- and it's as easy as putting one foot in front of the other.
Walking, that humble form of locomotion you mastered when you were a toddler, requires no special skills or costly equipment. It's also a world-class de-flabber: Mile for mile, you can burn as many calories walking as you would jogging, but with far less stress on your joints. And research shows that women who succeed at losing weight and keeping it off have one thing in common: They walk.
To transform yourself into a power walker, follow our five-week plan, devised by Connie Tyne, executive director of the Cooper Wellness Program, in Dallas. The program is tailor-made for the novice exerciser because it starts slowly and gradually intensifies. By the end of our plan, you'll have walked off pounds -- without going on a juice fast.

Burning weight-loss-level calories isn't for wimps -- think brisk, purposeful strides, not a bridesmaid's stroll. Your optimal pace for weight loss is roughly four miles per hour (or 15 minutes per mile), a goal you'll hit by month two. You'll build up to that speed by taking longer, quicker hikes each week, and by beefing up your workout with interval training -- alternating periods of low-intensity walking with a few minutes at a faster pace. In months two and three, expect to shed up to a pound a week -- even more if you're tackling steep hills and varied terrain.
Remember to stretch before and after your workout, and stay hydrated -- drink plenty of water prior to walking, and use a belted bottle holder for longer hikes. Motivation flagging? Try mixing things up: Hoof it at a nearby nature trail, enlist a pal or a pooch as an exercise companion, or sign up for a charity's walkathon. Remember to check with your doctor before starting this, or any, exercise program.

Week 1
Goal: two or three walks, 20 to 30 minutes each, at about 2.5-3 mph
This week, focus on learning proper form and acclimating your body to exercise. If you've been sedentary, start by walking just 10 minutes a day. Keep your exertion level low -- you should be able to walk and talk easily, without pausing for breath as you chat. Go slowly during the first five minutes to warm up, and during the last five minutes to cool down. Schedule a day or two between each workout for muscle recovery.

Week 2
Goal: four walks, 30 minutes each, at 3 mph
Start increasing your speed. To determine how fast you're moving, check the distance by driving it beforehand; you can also use a pedometer, or simply count the number of steps you take in 60 seconds -- 100 steps per minute is equivalent to 3 mph. Tackle some small hills, but not if it means slowing down.

Week 3
Goal: four or five walks, 40 minutes each, at 3-4 mph
Add interval training to two or three of your workouts this week. To do that, periodically pick up the pace (try to hit 4 mph, or one mile every 15 minutes) for a few minutes, then resume your regular speed. These brief chunks of full-tilt power walking will start conditioning your body to achieve and maintain its peak calorie-burning pace.
Here's an easy test to determine whether you're moving at the 15-minute-mile pace: If you're walking Fido and you need to catch your breath after saying "Good dog," you're moving fast enough. Below, an outline of a 40-minute walk with interval training:
MinutesSpeed5 warm-up walk at 2.5 mph4moderate walk at 3 mph 4power walk at 4 mph4moderate walk at 3 mph 5power walk at 4 mph 5 moderate walk at 3 mph4power walk at 4 mph 4 moderate walk at 3 mph5cooldown walk at 2.5 mph
If intervals are still too challenging, try this simpler version: Choose a landmark ahead of you -- a tree, mailbox, etc. -- and walk to it as fast as you can; repeat two or three times during your hike.

Week 4
Goal: five walks, 45 minutes each, at 3.5-4 mph
Kick your workout into high gear this week by increasing the duration and frequency of your power walks, and decreasing your recovery time. At least four of this week's walks should be identical to the following:
MinutesSpeed5 warm-up walk at 2.5 mph2moderate walk at 3 mph 6power walk at 4 mph2moderate walk at 3 mph 7power walk at 4 mph 2 moderate walk at 3 mph6power walk at 4 mph 2moderate walk at 3 mph5moderate walk at 4 mph3moderate walk at 3 mph5 cooldown walk at 2.5 mph

Week 5
Goal: five walks, 60 minutes each, 4 mph
After a month of progressively ratcheting up your workout, you should now be able to keep a steady 4-mph pace (excluding your warm-up and cooldown) for the entire duration of this week's walks. For maximum weight loss, maintain this speed during your workouts during the next eight weeks. You can further intensify your hikes with the following:
Changing the terrain Walking on grass or gravel is more difficult than on asphalt; soft beach sand burns the most calories.
Racewalking Place one foot directly in front of the other, propelling yourself forward by pumping your arms. You should feel as if you're on the verge of breaking into a jog.

You've been hoofing it for decades, but are you using the proper form? Below, tips for effective treading:

• Your heel should contact the ground first. Then roll the foot in a straight line, through the arch to the ball to the toes.
• Hold your head up, with your chin parallel to the ground. Keep your pelvis under your shoulders (note that your hips should move forward and back, not side to side), and pull in your abs.
• Don't overexaggerate your arm movements. Instead, bend your elbow at a 90-degree angle and pump your arms from the shoulder. Tuck your elbows close to your body, and with a fluid motion, swing your arms forward, as if they were in a groove. Keep your hands empty and unclenched (clip your personal stereo or water bottle to a fitness belt).
• When you want to go faster, don't take longer "overstrides," which can stress the lower back and the knees. Opt for more frequent steps to quicken the pace. And to avoid straining your leg muscles when you're tackling a steep hill, lean forward and bend your knees slightly.

Stretching before and after walks will lessen your chance of pulling a muscle. Do these stretches, developed by New York City-based trainer David Rosenbaum, for five to eight minutes, pre- and post-walk.
Forward fold Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides. Relax your head, dropping your chin to your chest. Gradually bend forward, softening knees and hanging until your fingertips touch the floor. Keeping your fingertips on the floor, raise hips and gently straighten legs. Hold for eight to 10 seconds. Then relax knees, roll up through the spine, and return to start. Repeat two or three times.
Quadriceps-shaper Begin with feet hip-width apart, arms by your sides. Rest left hand on a wall or the back of a chair to support your weight. Standing on left leg, bend right knee behind you. Grasp right foot with right hand, and gently press heel toward buttocks. Hold for eight to 10 seconds. Repeat three or four times, then switch legs.

Uncomfortable shoes can turn a fitness foray into a death march. Here are some sneaker tips:

1. Your heel hits the ground first, so make sure it's cushioned. Look for an athletic shoe with one quarter to one half inch of padding beneath the heel. Footwear for walking or running is your best bet.
2. Replace your walking shoes every 300 to 500 miles. Even if footwear looks fine, its shock-absorbing material will probably be depleted, leaving you prone to injury. Need a "retirement" reminder? Write the purchase date on the inside with a permanent marker.

Courtesy of Good HouseKeeping via e-mail

[niftyneon99]

wow, I think I would keel over if I walked 4 miles in an hour! I can do 2.5

[snafu4me]

Recent child abductions ~ too close to home ~ have prompted me to walk up our long driveway & meet my son as he gets off the school bus everyday ~ if it don't kill me first, it'll definitely benefit both of us in the long run

[momof1]

another great way to get you walking more is get a pedometer. I wear mine everyday. What I do is at the end of the day I write down the number of steps I took and then the next day I have to beat it. Even if its only by a couple of steps its better than nothing.

Good Luck

[Candee]

I have a pedometer and it does help.

I try to get to 10,000 steps a day and find if I have it on, I park farther away in the parking lot from the store and think of it as "free exercise steps." Scary what mind games we play with ourselves.

[YouPdWhat]

Thoughts on Walking

(1). Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home at $5000 per month

(2). My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was 60. Now she's 97 years old and we don't know where the hell she is.

(3). The only reason I would take up exercising is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.

(4). I joined a health club last year, spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to actually go to the health club, geesh!

(5). I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing.


(6). I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.

(7). I have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.


(8). The advantage of exercising every day is that you die healthier.


(9). If you are going to try cross country skiing, start with a small
country.

(10). I decided to take an aerobics class. I bent, twisted, gyrated & jumped up & down for an hour, but by the time I got my leotard on the class was over.

[bugface711]

Those are great!!!!!!

[kmmmom]

Love it

[MsM]

Those are funny OP!! When I can I walk 20-30 minutes a day with the dog. It helps keep me sane.:CrazyEyes: Otherwise I'm like to go postal on someone. :aargh4:

[pansygirl]

funny