Transcript The Lowdown on Fad Diets

Walking: A Way to
Health & Fitness!
by Laura Hartung MA, RD
Certified Personal Trainer
www.laurahartungrd.com
Fitness Walking – Steps in the
Right Direction!
 If exercise were a pill – we’d all be taking it!
 Decrease your risk of a heart attack
 Decrease your chance of developing
diabetes
 Helps control your weight
 Improve your muscle tone
 Promote over all sense of wellness
MOVE MORE!!
 Walk 2000 steps MORE each day and never
gain another pound!
 Says Dr. James Hill of the Center for Human
Nutrition at the university of Colorado
Health Sciences Center.
 To LOSE WEIGHT..add MORE!
MOVE MORE!
 Sedentary people in the USA only move 20003000 steps a day.
 Previous studies have shown that moving 6000 steps a
day significantly reduces risk of death.
 8000-10,000 steps promotes weight loss.
 How far is a 2000 steps? About a mile – but the benefits
for weight management don’t depend on you walking a
mile all at once, but simply adding on more during the
day!
Let’s Move!
Getting Families More Active
to Fight Childhood Obesity!
 Girls 6 to 17 – At least 11,000
steps/day
 Boys 6 to 17 - At least 13,000
steps/day
 Adults 18 or older - At least
8,500 steps/day
Getting Started!
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78% of U.S. population is considered sedentary
•
Contact your doctor if you haven’t been exercising
regularly & are a male over 45 or a woman over 55
•
Get in touch with your motivators
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Set realistic & specific goals
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Prepare for potential obstacles
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Buy comfortable clothing & supportive
Pedometers Count Steps
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By wearing a pedometer all day, you are motivated to add in
extra steps whenever you can.
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There are many little trips that can add up to a mile or two a
day!
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Parking further from the door of your destination, taking the
stairs rather than the elevator, pace around as you talk on the
telephone, take a marching-in-place once an hour.
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All in all, it is entertaining to ponder that such a seemingly
insignificant gadget may be of practical importance in the war
on obesity!” said Catrine Tudor-Locke, Ph.D., Department of
Exercise and Wellness, Arizona State University in the
conclusion of a report by the President’s Council Physical
Fitness & Sports.
Start Counting Your Steps!
 Buy a step counting pedometer.
 Set your pedometer.
 Wear your pedometer throughout the day.
 See how many steps you take on an average day, then
add 2000 steps to set your daily walking goal.
 Chart your steps each day.
 Make a game or challenge of it with the free Webwalking
USA Program.
Choosing the right shoes!

Buy shoes at an athletic store.

Shop when your feet are the largest & wear the same socks
you’ll wear walking.

Buy shoes to fit your larger foot & maintain a half-inch space
between your longest toe & the end of the shoe.

Choose shoes that are right for your type of foot.
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Walk in the shoes before buying them.
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Replace shoes every 300-600 miles.
OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE
To make physical improvements, you need to work
your body harder than usual.
•
FREQUENCY: How often you walk. For beginners,
consider starting with 2-3 sessions per week.
•
INTENSITY: How hard you exercise. For example,
the pace you walk or your heart rate count. Walking a
mile in 15 - 20 minutes is considered moderate
intensity.
•
TIME: How long you walk. Benefits begin with 10 min
bouts of exercise.
Everyday Fitness Ideas
 Take several frequent 5-10 minute walks
throughout the day.
 Stand instead of sit; walk instead of stand
 Take stairs
 Park at a distance
 Get what you want instead of asking
someone to get it for you
 Use a pedometer to measure daily steps
Components of a walking
program
 Warm-up (5 minutes)
 Stretches (5 minutes)
 Walking (30 minutes)
 Cool-down (5 minutes)
Proper Walking Technique
 Head up. Look forward. Keep chin
parallel to the ground.
 Swing arms in a natural motion.
 Walk smoothly, rolling your foot from heel
to toe.
 Back is straight. Stomach muscles slightly
contracted.
 Do not use hand weights while walking
Stretching
 Stretch to warm up muscles
 Stretch gently and slowly
 Repeat each stretch 3 times
 For cool-down: Walk slowly and then
repeat stretches
How much – how often?
• Health benefits of exercise begin at 30 min, 4
days/week
• To improve physical fitness, you may want to raise the
bar
• You should be able to hold a conversation when
walking.
• Use Rating of Perceived Exertion: 1 (very weak)
to 10 (extremely difficult). 3-4 for health, 7-8 for
fitness
Calf Stretch
Hamstring Stretch
Quad Stretch
Lower Back Stretch
Safety Precautions
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Carry ID and cell phone
Use proper footwear
Don’t wear headphones
Walk against the traffic
Wear reflective material when dark
Choose safe walking course and level
paths
Injuries
 Rest the injured muscle. Do a different
type of exercise that doesn’t aggravate the
injury.
 Apply ice for first 48 hours if there is
swelling. Alternate cold and heat after 48
hours. Take OTC pain medication for a few
days.
 Wrap the injury with a stretchy bandage.
Sarcopenia: SAR-co-PEEN-yuh
 The loss of muscle tissue as we age.
 Unfortunately, it hasn’t reached the public’s radar screen
the way osteoporosis has.
 People know they need to keep their bones strong but
feel they don’t have to worry about sarcopenia.
 45% of U.S. adults 65 and other suffer from some age
related muscle wasting. And it’s not just a matter of
losing the strength they had in their 20’s.
Why do we lose muscle mass?
 Slowdown in muscle metabolism as we age
 Too little muscle stimulating physical
activity
 Genetic differences
 Gender differences
 Hormonal deficiencies
 Change in diet
 Loss of nerve cells
We don’t just lose strength
 Decreased metabolism
 Muscle marbling
 Weaker bones
 Poorer balance
Reasons to lift weights!

Decreases risk of developing diabetes

Improves ratio of good cholesterol (HDL) to bad cholesterol
(LDL)

Relieves arthritis

Keeps mitochondria (power house of the cell)
younger!

More muscle more metabolic active
tissue; meaning you burn more calories
at rest!

Great for the skin

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both cardio & weight training
gives a radiance & glow no make-up can match
helps build collagen
Sample Beginner Program
 2-3 nonconsecutive days per week
 1 set to start with; 2 sets after first month
 30-60 second rest periods between sets
 10-12 repetitions; increase weight when 12 reps are
comfortable
 Select exercises that utilize large muscle groups
 Change routine every 6-12 weeks!
Top Five Reasons to Exercise
 You’ll lower your risk for the nations top three
killers: heart disease, cancer and stroke.
 You’ll smile more!
 You’ll get sick less often!
 You’ll be mentally sharp!
 You’ll live longer!
My Dad! Ed Hartung – still
going strong @ 80!
Little Susie..still spry @ 73!
WINTER OBSTACLES
 Internal:
 Less motivated
 Less energy
 Seasonal Affective Disorder
 External: cold, darkness, road conditions
 Blah, blah, blah!
BREAK THROUGH THE BARRIERS
 CONFRONT THE EXCUSES
 SET YOUR GOALS
 STICK WITH THE PLAN
 JUST DO IT!
Don’t think “all or nothing!”
Self Assessment: What do you
want from of an exercise program?
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Weight loss?
Mental clarity?
Mood booster?
Stress reduction?
Time alone?
Improved quality
of life?
Exercise??? I’m too
busy to exercise!
With ALL these great reasons to
exercise, why aren’t you?
Staying Motivated!
 Schedule your workouts,
make exercise nonnegotiable!
 Find a fitness partner or
entertain
yourself.
 Dress the part!
 Start an exercise log, set goals
& evaluate your
progress.
 Stop beating yourself up!
 Re-evaluate your goals!
 Get Going!
 Continually plan!
Exercise Compliance: Staying
Motivated
If you always do what you always did than
you’ll always get what you always got!
Useful Resources
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www.Walking.about.com
FITNESS 9 TO 5 - Chronicle Books, 2006
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American College of Sports Medicine’s Resources for the Personal
Trainer 2005
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Strong Women Stay Young by Miriam Nelson, PhD, 2000
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Tufts University Health and Nutrition Newsletter Newsletter February
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President’s Council on Physical Fitness (PCPFS) @ www.fitness.gov
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The National Institute of Aging @ www.niapublications.org
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The Perricone Weight Loss Diet – Dr Nicolas Perricone - 2005
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Body For Life – Bill Phillips
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www.presidentchallenge.org
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Ten Minute Tone-Ups for Dummies