Walking 101 – Part I of II

It’s a natural movement that we do every day and we’ve been doing it for most of our lives.  Walking to achieve fitness should be as easy as breathing.  So then why is it so difficult to use walking to our advantage?  I will start by sharing some of the excuses that many of us use that keep us from achieving our goal of personal fitness.

I’m too tired to walk – Stop and ask yourself, are you too tired to walk, or are you tired because you are not moving?  The body was not made to remain in the “sit” position for long periods of time, yet the average person sits over 10 hours a day.  Everything slows down when we become sedentary.  This includes cognitive functions.   The simple truth is exercise improves cognitive function which allows for a greater sense of wellbeing.  “There is clear evidence that becoming physically active changes people’s perceptions of their physical self and identity in a positive way” (Faukner & Biddle, 2001). Walking does not require a lot of skill since we’ve been doing it for most of our lives; it just requires you to literally take the first step.  Then tomorrow take two and begin your program of becoming physically fit. 

I’m too out of shape to walk – The impact of a sedentary life is just coming into the forefront as the incidences for Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) continue to rise.  Most of us have heard that sitting for too long a period of time may eventually kill you.  A study that was conducted in 1953 revealed that “people with jobs that involve  a significant amount of sitting such as bus drivers and telephone operators have about twice the rate of CVD as those with more standing and ambulatory activities such as bus conductors and mail carriers” (Morris et al., 1953).  These facts are not new, just ignored.  The fact that you are out of shape today should in fact make you fearful of what you will be like in a month, six months, or in a year.  Starting will be the hardest part.  Just standing can lead to, “reduced upper back and neck pain by 54%, and improved mood states” (Pronk et al., 2011).  In other words, it’s time to get off the couch! 

I’m too old to walk – It’s never too late for most people to begin a program of walking. In fact walking can actually increase your life expectancy.  “Restricting the amount of time spent seated every day to less than 3 hours might boost the life expectancy of US adults by an extra 2 years, indicates an analysis of published research in the online journal BMJ Open.  And cutting down TV viewing to less than 2 hours every day "might extend life by almost 1.4 years, the findings suggest” (ScienceDaily, 2012).  Walking not only increases the quantity of life, it improves the quality of life.  Again, “it is unmistakably clear that physical activity protects against CVD risk factors… especially for older people, [it] confers protection against CVD.”  (Brannon, et al, 2014).

I don’t have any time to walk – If this is your excuse try waking up ½ hour earlier each day, or make it part of your game plan to enjoy an evening walk.  Take a walk during your break or at lunch time when you are at work.  We now know that walking a minimum of 30 minutes a day can have an incredible impact on your life.  The good news is that this does not have to be consecutive minutes.  To be effective make sure you keep the minimum amount of walking at any given time to 10 minutes.  Here is a simple scenario, walk 10 minutes at break and 20 minutes at lunch.  This will enable you to reach your goal of walking 30 minutes a day.  Why not consider adding a 15 minute walk with a member of your family….or with your dog.  If you do this you just increased your walk time to 45 minutes a day.  Be creative and look for opportunities to walk on a daily basis.  This can have a lasting impact on your life. Why not start the long awaited walking program today. 

I don’t have anywhere to walk – Midwest weather can sometimes make us feel helpless when it comes to outdoor activities, or does it?  Check with nearby malls, schools, and sports arenas that open their doors to those who are willing to become early walkers.  You can accomplish your goal before the crowds begin to arrive at the respective facility.  Another great way to walk is in front of your TV.  Walking in place for 30 minutes will give you an incredible workout, especially if you add lunges, kicks, or are holding weights.  For variety, walk in place in front of your computer and view a free walking routine on YouTube.com.  These videos come with a warm-up and cool-down segment.  They help you keep a consistent pace to lively music.  Be prepared to deal with roadblocks so that if it rains, you know exactly what you’re plan B will be so that there will be no excuse for not having your daily workout.

I don’t want to walk – Exercise is not a natural “dream come true” for most humans.  Most early morning walkers did start out that way because they like cold mornings.  Even elite athletes need to occasionally be spurred on to do more, give more, be more.  That’s why a walking buddy is a great way for a beginner to make walking a habit.  Walking buddies come in all shapes and sizes.  Some have two legs, some have four.  Some come in a stroller and some come over the airways.  Walking isn’t going to be the hard part…. staying motivated is.  So find that much needed inspiration, and if you can’t find it on your own find someone or something that will give it to you.

Now that we have the excuses out of the way, stay tuned for Part II …    

Sources:

Ø        Brannon, L., Feist, J., & Updegraff, J. (2014). Health Psychology: An Introduction to Behavior and Health (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Ø        Bea. (2011).  Why Walk? MyFitnessTunes.  Retrieved on August 23, 2013 from http://www.myfitnesstunes.com/why-walk

Ø        Faulkner, G. G., & Biddle, S. S. (2001). Exercise and mental health: it's just not psychology! / Activite physique et sante mentale : ce n ' est pas seulement de la psychologie!. Journal Of Sports Sciences, 19(6), 433-444.

Ø        Mayo Staff. (2010).  Exercise: When to check with your doctor first.  Retrieved on August 12, 2013 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/SM00059

Ø        Morris, J., Heady, J., Raffle, P., Roberts, C., Parks, J., (1953). Coronary heart-disease and physical activity of work. Lancet 265. pp. 1053 –1057.

Ø        P. T. Katzmarzyk, I. Lee. (2012). Sedentary behaviour and life expectancy in the USA: a cause-deleted life table analysis. BMJ Open. Vol. 2 (4): e000828 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2012-000828

Ø        Pronk, N., Katz, A., Lowry, M., Payfer, J., (2011) Reducing Occupational Sitting Time and Improving Worker Health: The Take-a-Stand Project. Prev Chronic Dis 2012;9:110323. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888.pcd9.110323.