Live Healthy By Walking

There are little things that I have discovered that will make a big difference on your walking experiences.  They are simple things that you may not think of doing; however, they are natural movements to your body.  So, get your mind in tune with your body and make your walking more interesting.

Do not look down as you walk.  Look straight ahead.  When you look down as you walk could put a strain on your neck and back and creates pain.  Just keep your chin up and see what is ahead of you. Keep your posture in the position of standing tall.

It is best that you do not take longer steps just for the purpose of walking faster.  When you want to walk fast all you have to do is to take quick, short steps. 

Give your body a boost by swinging your arms with force.  Every step you take your arms swing forward. Bend your arms in a 90 degree angle and swing them back and forth with your energy.  Do not clench your fists because it can unnecessarily raise your blood pressure.

I could not conclude this article without encouraging everyone to bump their calorie burn up to the next level by bringing along some Nordic poles. Using poles makes walking feel almost like gliding and using them can increase calorie burn by as much as 30 percent.   I am a Nordic walking and find it hard to take a walk without them.  They work the upper body muscles and contribute to working the whole body while you enjoy your walk. 

You need to enjoy your walk and always look for little things to do to make a huge difference in creating your healthy body.

Tags: exercise, Exerstrider, Healthy Walking, never give up, Nordic Poles, Rosalie Lynch, walking posture

In the USA we are celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday.  It is such a great family time for most people.   I’m exhausted reading emails and articles on what NOT to eat on Thanksgiving Day.  I’m happy we can still eat turkey (if you eat the white meat only without skin on it).  However, mashed potatoes are replaced with a rice and vegetables mixture; pumpkin pie is replaced with a fruit salad; cramberries are replaced with apples; stay away from gravy and the rolls should not even make it to the table.

I eat most of these foods only at Thanksgiving and I intend to eat and enjoy the food and the fellowship of the people I love.  However, I will prepare for the extra calories by pulling out my program for “The Walking Plan for Thanksgiving”.   

The Walking Plan for Thanksgiving

From Sunday before Thanksgiving to the Sunday after Thanksgiving. all you do is add 15 more minutes EACH day you walk.  That is an extra 120 minutes (2 hours) a week by only adding 15 additional minutes each day.  As you can figure out, add 30 minutes extra each day and you have walked an extra four mileswhich will help balance out those additonal calories.  You can do it too and enjoy Thanksgiving Day with your family, friends and loved ones.  My love to you – Happy Thanksgiving!

Tags: exercise, family, friends, Healthy Walking, motivation, never give up, Rosalie Lynch

I have mentioned several times that people walk for many reasons.  I have met a new friend, Laurie Lico Albanese, and she turned 50 years old and she started her walking adventure.  You might be wondering why in the world did I tell you her age?    Laurie says: “One morning, while sweeping my front porch, I realized I could take that urge for adventure – the urge to walk, to see, to explore, to saunter, journey, sojourn, pilgrimage — and do it right here, from home. Rather than making my celebration an adveture apart from my life, I could make it a new venture within my life.  And so, My Big Walk was born.

It’s my plan to walk for one hour, every day, 365 days.  Through sun, rain, fog, sleet, snow, hangovers, hangnails, sprained ankles, bad moods, menopause, hot flashes, cold spells — you name it, I’m walking through it.  Get a plan, and stick to it.    In other words, put one foot in front of the other and then do it again, and again.  If it scares you, do it anyway. If you don’t feel like it, do it anyway. If you’re tired, definitely do it.   I think walking each day is exactly part of how I want to live my life.  Every day is a small journey. Every walk is a small journey. How you live one day is how you live your whole life.

So that’s me: One Woman. One Year. One Thousand Miles. A year long walking project to mark my fiftieth birthday. Maybe I’ll get to Italy, London, Paris, Rome, anyway. And you can be sure when I get there, I’ll be walking.

I’m thrilled to welcome you to My Big Walk — a twelve month walking project to mark my fiftieth year”. http://www.mybigwalk.com

Tags: baby boomers, exercise, Healthy Walking, Improve your health, motivation, Rosalie Lynch

 “Even if she isn’t feeling well, she pushes herself to go for a walk during the day. She wears a veil so she doesn’t scare people and to avoid insults”.  Who is this?

Charla Nash is the lady, from Connecticut, who was attached by the 200 pound  chimpanzee.  She is blind and disfigured and has to eat through a straw.  How many of us turn to walking outdoors when we face a crisis in our lives?  Many of us do exactly that – even if we do not feel good physically; we need to stimulate our brain to create stimulation and help us to think and feel better. 

Tags: health, Improve your health, inspiration, Rosalie Lynch

Posture has a lot to do with preparing and keeping our bodies in tack for the purpose of achieving healthy benefits.

Just before you are ready to open the door and walk out, take a moment to shrug your shoulders to relax them.  To have your body relax at the beginning of your walk will ensure that your body will be relaxed throughout your walk.  Your posture needs to stand tall.  Do not lean forward because it can put a strain on your back muscles making it painful. 

It is important to practice breathing for about 15 minutes before you walk. Make sure you are breathing through your stomach, not your chest.  When you breathe though your stomach, you are utilizing the lower part of your lungs and that is the best.

For the purpose of proper posture when you start to walk make sure the heel of your foot touch the ground first and then roll your weight forward. Remember, short quick steps work your butt muscles instead of taking long strides.  

To summarize actions you can take to ensure proper walking posture, follow these five steps:

1. Before you step out your door for the walk, shrug your shoulders and shake your body to relax it
2. Stand tall and do not lean forward while stepping
3. Practice breathing, 15 minutes before your walk, through your stomach not your chest
4. Walk with your heel first and roll your foot
5. Permit yourself to take short, fast steps instead of long strides in your walking style

Tags: exercise, motivation, Rosalie Lynch, Walk, walking, walking posture

I was talking with a lady who is always trying to drag her husband out for a walk after dinner.  He never seemed to want to go.  She asked one of her lady neighbor friend to walk with her.  Her neighbor came by in short shorts and a cute blouse and she announced to her husband they were going for a walk.  He jumped up out of his chair and announced he was going to join them.  What was his motivation?

Another lady was just diagnosed with Type II Diabetes.  She was scared when she learned she had to change her eating habits, start taking medicines, test her blood sugars four times a day and exercise.  She started studying the silent killer disease and learned that if she lost weight and exercised her diabetes would improve.  She had never been an exercise person so she wanted to start with something that she knew she could do.  She selected walking.  What was her motivation?

We make decisions in our lives based on our motivation.  And, everyone has a different motivation.  Sometimes the motivation is logical and sometimes not logical at all.  If you can understand why you make your decisions and what the motivation is, you will start to understand yourself. 

You will find the motivated people are the ones who commit themselves and stay steadfast in their decisions.  Determine your motivation in your walking activity and you will stay steadfast in walking toward a healthy body.

Tags: exercise, Healthy Walking, motivation, never give up, Rosalie Lynch, walking

It is important to understand if your walking level and goals match your abilities to achieve your objectives.  The reason a walkers motivation weakens is because they are on the wrong track. 

BEGINNERS: If a person has leaded a sedentary life and they have created a goal of losing 50 pounds in 4 months, it will not happen.  Most people are overweight if they have sit around for years.  To lose weight a person has to do Brisk, Interval, Nordic, or Power walking.  It is important if you have not been physically active to start slow and steady.  However, when you start your “beginners” program your goal needs to include a 30 minute daily walking exercise.  To lose pounds during this time, you must eat 25% less food than you normally consume.  This is the stage you are building your strength and testing your endurance.

MODERATE:  You lead an active life and once in a while you intentional exercise, but not on a regular schedule.  You do the best you think you can by squeezing in a couple of hours a week of exercise.  When you start your regularly, consistent walking program and you go beyond strolling or slow walking to hit the brisk level, you will most certainly maintain your current body weight and that can be a good thing. Your achievable goal could be to maintain your weight and build your strength and endurance. 

ADVANCE:  All of your life you have participated in sports and exercise programs.  With your doctor’s approval, there is no limit to your achievements in walking.  Many runners, who have aged, have turned to walking to continue their healthy benefits.  Chances are if you have been physically active in a program, you do not have a weight challenge.  You are the ones which could easily achieve a lean, mean body that will aide you in your on-going aging process. 

I encourage you to be accurate in choosing your walking abilities and levels; set realistic goals; get up and get going.

Tags: exercise, Healthy Walking, motivation process, never give up, Rosalie Lynch, Walking Goals

We are excited that football season has arrived and we cheer our favorite team on to victory almost every weekend.  Baseball season has just ended.  We are getting ready for the seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We are finishing up the fall season and heading straight into winter.  We love seasonal sports and holidays and plan our lives around them.

I have noticed, in my neighborhood, many of the walkers have disappeared.  Where did they go?  I am beginning to believe that some people consider walking a seasonal activity.  What are the seasons the majority people walk outdoors?  Of course, we would say spring and fall because it is too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer.  The rest of the fortunate people live in a region that the weather is perfect all year around and the seasons are written on the calendar rather than in the environment. Even the bike riders seem to have disappeared because it is turning cold outdoors.  What happens with the kids that their parents push in their stroller everyday to get fresh air?

Of course, they have not disappeared.  They are not walking the sidewalks because the weather is just too cold for them.  I often wonder If they are watching television, talking on the phone, creating a favorite hobby for themselves or just where do they go.  We could analyze that these people consider walking a seasonal activity and not a life time commitment to the healthy benefits of walking.  Continue Reading »

Tags: Healthy Walking, inspiration, motivation, never give up, Rosalie Lynch