[Link] Benefits of Walking Walking. An Activity You Do Every Day. The Number One Activity Everywhere!

Reasons why:

Easy To Do - There is no great trick to walking. It does not require any special skills or advanced conditioning. Walking doesn't require any special equipment or clothing. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes, comfortable clothing, a pedometer, and you're set. Healthy - Some health benefits of walking include o Burns almost as many calories as jogging o Eases back pains o Slims you waist o Lowers blood pressure o Reduces level of bad cholesterol o Reduces heart attack risk o Lessens anxiety and tension o Enhances stamina and energy Safe - Walking is probably the safest exercise you can do. Studies have shown that due to the design of our body, walking is more natural than sitting, standing or running, and walking is not as stressful to the body as other [Link] walking is easier on your body, it can be just as beneficial as running in helping you lose weight. If you run for 30 minutes at 5 miles per hour you will burn about 285 calories. If you walk for 30 minutes at 4 miles per hour you will burn 165 calories on a level surface, 225 on a slight incline of 5%, and 360 calories on a 10% incline.

Walking Equipment Shoes Make The Walker - Walking shoes are the single most important piece of equipment for the walker. They can be the difference between having a fun, relaxing walk and an uncomfortable, painful walk. It is important to get a good pair of walking shoes with the following characteristics:

Provide both support and comfort to all parts of the foot. Have enough toe room so that you can wiggle your toes. Have firm support at the heel. Have a flexible cushioned sole in order to aid in the walking gait and to absorb shock. Be made of breathable material, preferably leather, or fabric to allow perspiration to dissipate.

Be lightweight

Walking Basics Before you start your walking program, the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports recommends following a few basic principles that will help keep you safe and comfortable:

If you have a health condition or have not done any regular physical activity for a long time (men over 40, women over 50), talk with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.

Choose comfortable, supportive shoes, such as running, walking, or cross training shoes, or light hiking boots.

If you're going for a longer walk, warm up with stretching exercises and include a cool-down period to reduce stress on your heart and muscles.

Maintain a brisk pace. You should work hard to keep up your pace but still be able to talk while walking.

Practice correct posture head upright, arms bent at the elbow and swinging as you stride.

Drink plenty of water before, during and after walking to cool working muscles and keep your body hydrated.

Starting the WalkingWorks Program The U.S. Surgeon General reports that a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, on most days of the week can produce long-term health benefits. The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports recommends at least 30 minutes a day, on five or more days a week, or 10,000 steps daily, measured by a pedometer. WalkingWorks is designed for everyone, so even if you have a chronic health condition or are seriously overweight, or if you are already in great shape, you will learn how to set a goal that makes sense for you. While 10,000 steps may seem like a lot, you're probably walking more than you think. And by making simple choices like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to the store instead of driving, parking at the back of the parking lot instead of the front you'll be surprised at how quickly the steps add up. Add 30 to 60 minutes of brisk-paced walking a day and you're there!

On this Web site, you'll find everything you need to start a regular walking routine no matter what your fitness level. All you really need is a good pair of shoes. Your WalkingWorks Plan To avoid injury, consider starting out slowly. Unless you are already walking a lot, it may take a while before you reach the 10,000 steps goal. Follow these steps to establish your individual goal and shape your program: 1. BASELINE. There are two ways to track your progress, either by tracking time or steps. If you are using a pedometer, count your steps for seven days; if you don't have a pedometer, follow the recommendations of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports begin with 30 minutes of brisk-paced walking at least five days each week. Keep a log to track the amount of daily walking activity you are currently doing. This will establish your baseline. Include all of your normal walking activities, such as walking up the stairs at home, walking to work, etc. At the end of each day, tally your total steps in the walking log. If you are not using a pedometer, keep track of the minutes you spend walking and apply the same principle with steps.

2. BENCHMARK. Your benchmark is the highest number of steps or minutes you walked on any given day while establishing your baseline the first week. Use that number as your daily goal for the second and third weeks. Log your daily walks, and at the end of the third week, review your log. If you averaged your goal, add another 500 steps or several more minutes to your daily goal for the fourth and fifth weeks.

3. BUILD. At the end of each 2-week period, try to add 500 steps or several more minutes to your walking goal. If you had difficulty reaching your goal, walk at the same level until you build enough endurance to increase your target. Continue to log your activity to prevent slipping back or dropping out. If you find yourself falling behind your average daily goal, try not to become discouraged. To maintain your motivation, keep logging your progress and stay with the same number of steps or minutes instead of increasing your target. Keep in mind that 10,000 steps may not be a realistic goal for everyone. If you are very overweight or have other chronic health problems, talk with your doctor to determine a goal that may be more appropriate.

Is 10,000 Steps Too Few for You? For some people, 10,000 steps are too few to meet ultimate health or weight loss goals. For example, individuals who are already walking 7,000 or 8,000 steps per day may not get enough benefit from increasing to just 10,000. If this applies to you, ultimately aim to add a total of 7,600 steps to your current daily total, adding 500 steps every two weeks as indicated in the plan. You can also add hills, stairs, or arm weights to your routine, to make your walks more challenging. posted by Walking Resource Host @ 12:09 PM 26 comments Wednesday, June 01, 2005

Walking Gear and Stretching Hi Everyone: Today I would like to briefly discuss some walking gear and tips for stretching before walking. Walking Gear While there is no need to spend a lot of money on walking gear, there are a number of items that will make your walk easier, safer and more fun: Pedometers - A pedometer is the perfect way to enhance your walking. First of all, it's fun to know how many steps you've taken, how far you've walked, or how long you've been walking. Secondly, a pedometer allows you to keep track of your progress against the goals you have set for yourself. A pedometer will aslo show you the steps taken or distance traveled over one or several walks. Reflective Products and Lights - If you are walking in the morning or in the early evening, reflective products are a must, in my opinion. Your walking gear can include a reflective vest and reflective bands. A flash ligh is also helpful to keep safe. Shoes - They Make the Walker - Shoes are the single most important piece of equipment for walking. They can be the difference between having a comfortable fun walk and a painful one. Find shoes with the following:

Provide both support and comfort to the whole foot. Have enough toe room Firm support at the heel Breathable material Stretching

Whether this is your first time exercise walking or you are a walking pro, it is crucial that you stretch before and after your exercise. Stretching will help loosen your muscles, reducing the chance of sore or injured muscles. Suggested stretches include calf and achilles stretch, hamstring stretch and quadriceps stretch.

Lowering High Triglycerides With Flexibility Exercise

Elevated blood triglycerides, as a part of lipid management, has become a major medical problem. This website is intended to allow you to become an informed patient who can manage your own care, ask the right questions, insist on adequate management and information, and seek an optimal outcome for yourself. Perhaps it will even help In adults, increased blood the health professionals who are giving care to better triglycerides are almost understand and, hopefully, incorporate into their practice the nutritional approach to high blood always a sign of lack of triglycerides.

physical activity.

Please note that this website is not intended for most people. It is written for those who want to stand out in self-health care. If you are such a person, we strongly advise that you give serious thought to all of the suggestions about how to improve you blood lipid profile, triglycerides in particular. If you are tempted to think the suggestions are too complicated or too simplistic, or biased, we assure you they are not.

For adults, increased levels of blood triglycerides are almost always a sign of insufficient exercise. In the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, there was an article on the role of exercise and its impact on health and well being: "Exercise is especially helpful in lowering triglycerides and raising HDL-"good" cholesterol, which tends to decrease when triglycerides increase. (Exercise also helps diabetics minimize their need for insulin). The metabolic changes occuring with exercise reflect better utilization of energy by body tissues." By incorporating stretching (flexibility) exercise into their daily life, many of our clients and customers have been able to lower their blood triglyceride levels. In our clinical experience, regular stretching - when done correctly - is able to

increase the insulin sensitivity of the bodys tissues and improve the bodily metabolism of blood sugar and carbohydrates.

Stretching is an example of an anaerobic exercise - as opposed to aerobics, that is walking, jogging, running, swimming, etc. As an important link between the sedentary life and the active life, it

keeps the muscles supple prepares you for movement, and helps you make the daily transition from inactivity to activity without undue strain.

Stretching may prevent common injuries such as knee problems from running and sore shoulder or elbows from tennis. When done correctly, stretching is an easy, simple and painless way of getting ready for movement. You will find it enjoyable and easy to do. Stretching feels good. You do not have to push limits or attempt to go further each day. The key here is regularity and relaxation. The object is to reduce muscular tension, thereby promoting freer movement. Stretching is stress-free, peaceful, and noncompetitive. The subtle, invigorating feeling of stretching allows you to get in touch with your muscles - and your body. Stretching is also completely adjustable. You do not have to conform to any unyielding discipline; it gives you the freedom to

be yourself and enjoy being yourself.

An Excellent Flexibility Exercise

posture gait coordination balance.

Stretching definitely will help you

reduce stress eliminate pain, including low-back pain (the fifth most common complaint in a visit to a physician; after hypertension, pregnancy, general check-ups, and colds) strengthen synergistic muscle groups encourage a full range of motion in the body.

Why Stretch?
Stretching should be part of your daily life as it relaxes your mind and tunes up your body. It can be fun! You will find that regular stretching will:

reduce muscle tension and make the body feel more relaxed maintain your current level of flexibility, so as time passes you do not become stiffer and stiffer

loosen the minds control of the body, so that the body moves for its own sake rather than for competition or ego make you feel good, and improve your blood lipids (fats) profile.

Who Should Stretch?

Everyone can learn to stretch, regardless of age or flexibility. However, it is suitable specially for those who have little or no experience with exercise and find even moderate aerobic exercise unrewarding or - boring! Stretching exercise is a perfect system for those who want to experience the benefits of gentle physical movement effectively and safely.

When to Stretch?
Stretching exercise requires no special clothing or gear and is suitable for those who don't identify themselves as 'exercisers'. Stretching can be done anywhere any time you feel like it, for example:

in the morning before the start of the day at work to release nervous tension after sitting or standing for a long time when you feel stiff during the day, when watching TV, listening to music, reading, or sitting and talking.

However, for therapeutic purposes, stretching exercise should be done daily or at least three to four times per week. Static stretches need to be held 10 to 15 seconds to the point of mild discomfort, and repeated three to four times per muscle group.

How to Stretch?
Stretching is easy to learn. But there is a right way and a wrong way to stretch. Unfortunately, the latter one is practiced by many people. The wrong way to stretch - it can actually do more harm than good - is to bounce up and down or stretch to the point of pain.

The right way to stretch is to stretch with your attention focused on the muscles being stretched in a relaxed and sustained manner. The following rules will help you maintain and/or increase your flexibility - and improve your blood lipids (fats) profile:

#1. Stretch slowly without bouncing, breathing slowly, deeply and rhythmically. #2. Be relaxed while you concetrate on the area being stretched. #3. Stretch to where you feel a slight easy stretch. Hold this feeling to 10-15 seconds. As you hold this stretch, the feeling of tension should diminish. If it doesn't, just ease off slightly into a more comfortable easy stretch. #4. After holding the easy stretch, move a fraction of an inch further into the stretch until you feel mild tension again. Hold this stretch for 10-15 seconds. This feeling of stretch tension should also slightly diminish or stay the same. If the tension increases or becomes painfull, you are overstretching. Ease off a bit to a comfortable easy stretch. #5. Don't worry about how far you can stretch. Hold only stretch tensions that feel good for you. PLEASE NOTE: You dont need to be an athlete. But you do need to take stretching slowly, especially in the beginning. When you start easily you will give your body and mind time to adjust. When you are stretching regularly, you will learn to enjoy movement. There is no way to get into shape in a day.

Many clients in our practice have found one particular flexibility exercise extremely helpful in lowering their high blood triglycerides:

Stretching for Everyday Health and Fitness

Stretching Exercise on DVD or videotape, recorded by a stretching authority, provides clear, stepby-step 60-minute instructions that will lead you through easy to do stretches for

the neck and back the legs, groin, hips and feet the upper body.

The whole well-balanced stretching program concludes with a 14-minute overall Everyday Stretches, a daily routine - consisting of 27 stretches - that can be followed for everyday health and fitness, or for specific sports or activities. Appropriate for people of all ages and interests, Stretching Exercise" will help you:

reduce your back pain perform better reduce stiffness prevent injuries look and feel better learn the feeling of a good stretch reduce your levels of blood lipids improve your cardiovascular health

At Full of Health, we are sure that this excellent flexibility exercise will do as much for you as it has done for our clients and customers. If other people have benefited from Stretching you can benefit as well.
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