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Walking and Excercising for Health

As we reach middle age , exercise and walking becomes more important than ever for our health . By the time we reach our 50’s, more than 40% of men and 80% of women spend no time exercising or even walking , this is an alarming trend of depreciating health . According to the American Heart Association , that’s on the same level as high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure and cigarette smoking.

Many of us are already on an exercise regime that includes walking for our health . But for those of us who aren’t, it’s certainly easy to find excuses not to engage in such activity. You know the favorite ones: work all day and after dinner, you just want to sit on the couch, relax and watch T.V. Besides you’re not in shape and exercise is just too much work, let a lone walking around several blocks after that huge dinner! You may need to overhaul your thinking!

There’s easy ways to get started on an exercise program and one of those is walking . You can begin at any age and it definitely isn’t boring! Walking is a tremendous way to experience God’s beautiful earth , while at the same time meeting new friends along the way as you excercise and improve your health. It doesn’t require an investment (except for some time and a good pair of walking shoes ) and you stand to profit a great deal from feeling better and having more energy from improved health . Brisk walking is almost as beneficial as jogging! Both are a benefit to health and fitness . However, your chances of getting injured are lower for walking and it still burns calories. Jogging has a much greater impact on your knees, hips and joints . We all are destined to get older but if you walk on a regular basis, you can cut your rate of physical/health decline by as much as half!

Personally , I enjoy the time walking and excercising to reflect on life’s happenings as well as strategize business deals. Other times I enjoy listening to an ipod , either enjoying my favorite music or listening to a podcast while walking and excercising for my health . You’ll be surprised how fast you can work up to 2 or more miles of enjoyable walking while enjoying an ipod (just keep the volume at a safe level for your hearing ). If you do not already own one try Apple iPod touch 16 GB (2nd Generation) at Amazon.com. If you're more of an MP3 fan try Zune 120 GB Video MP3 Player (Black) at Amazon.com

Other benefits are improved cardiovascular health, arthritis, osteoporosis, reduced cholesterol, less back pain, slower deterioration of muscles, fewer varicose veins, and improved health and stamina.

Where do you begin ? It’s as easy as walking out the door! Think of all the creative ways you can begin a walking program just by making alterations to your daily routine. Examples are getting off the bus sooner and walking the rest of the way , parking your car a farther distance in the parking lot and walking at lunch time. You can start with as little as ten minutes a day and continue to add five minutes every day until you’ve worked your way up to thirty minutes or as much as an hour or two . The key is to make walking an enjoyable excercise so that it becomes a habit for your health . . You do that by making it a ritual and walking every day.

For those who are already in a fitness program , walking can add a new dimension. One way to better increase your cardio and fat burning workout is to try Nordic Walking . You’ll burn fat calories as it allows you to engage in a smooth constant motion and you can sustain it over a longer period of time versus a strenuous aerobic workout. Fat can’t be burned without oxygen and an intense workout won’t give your body enough. The International Nordic Walking Foundation who promotes Nordic Walking was founded in Finland in the year 2000. According to the INWA, Nordic Walking is one of the fastest growing fitness sports in the world. Nordic Walking , which utilizes walking poles , raises your heart rate into a moderate intensity zone and you don’t have the feeling of working any harder than regular fitness walking . You don’t have to walk faster and if you’re walking with a partner who can’t walk at a faster pace, you’ll get a better work overall workout just by adding the poles! Another great benefit of Nordic Walking, is it provides more stability for those who experience knee problems. If you have neck or shoulder problems, Nordic Walking will loosen the knots that create tension. In addition , if you love walking and excercising on the nature trails, think of the stability the poles will add for you!

Racewalking is another great way to increase your fitness and cardiovascular health . The Walking Site serves as a good resource for racewalking. You must learn to use proper technique and practice to be an effective racewalker. The Walking Site mentions that racewalking is a progression of steps so taken that the walker makes contact with ground so that no visible loss of contact occurs. Power-walking (also known as speedwalking) uses the same technique but is considered more recreational than racewalking. Either way , they are both excellent forms of walking exercises to increase your health and yield the same health benefits such as a great aerobic workout. They also burn more calories than fitness walking or running.

Keep in mind , it is particularly important to watch your heart rate if you are a beginner . If you can talk while you’re walking, you aren’t overworking. You should walk fast enough to reach your target heart rate but not be gasping for air . Target heart rates vary by age . For a person 55 years of age, your heart rate zone (50-85%) is 83-140 beats per minute. Your maximum heart rate is 170 beats per minute. As a beginner , aim for the lowest part of your heart zone (50%) and gradually build up to 85% of your maximum heart rate, as recommended by American Heart Association.

The great thing about walking is there is something for everyone in all age groups and at all excercise levels. You just have to find the best program for you and reap the benefits! Remember, “You Can Do It !”

Comments (0) 02.05.2009. 16:45