National Walk at Lunch Day

Only a small crowd could make our noontime walk today, but we had a great time. Even on a gray day like today, it's so nice to be outside and get some fresh air and exercise.

For me, it's tough to get away from my desk most days, so I usually exercise in the morning. Our short walk at lunch really helped break up the day.

Did you take a walk today at lunch? Share your stories and photos.

Today is National Walk @ Lunch Day

Grab your tennies and get walking - today is National Walk @ Lunch Day. Take a 30-minute walk with your co-workers at lunch or after work - for your health and for fun.

My team is gathering today at lunch for a walk in downtown Des Moines. If it's raining, we may take the skywalk.

Cross Training: Does Gardening Count?

Cross-training is any exercise that supplements your main activity (walking), like biking, tennis, aerobics, swimming - anything that gets your body moving in another way.

Whether you're just starting a walking program or you are an experienced walker, you can benefit from cross training. Here's why:

• It strengthens the muscles you don't use when walking, and lets those muscles rest, to reduce your chance of injury.
• It helps you maintain or improve your cardiovascular fitness.
• It keeps you from getting bored! Taking a couple of days off from walking to do another activity helps keep you moving and motivated.

And, yes, gardening - my favorite cross training activity - counts. Did you know that general gardening burns about 280 calories per hour? This weekend after a long walk/run on Saturday, I spent Sunday digging in the dirt and helping my husband build a retaining wall. I think I sweated more than during my normal workout.

Share your cross-training activities.

How far is 13 miles?

Thirteen miles is the distance from my parents farm to the town where we went to school and church. I've traveled this distance many, many times growing up, and even now as an adult when I visit, but always by car or by bus - never of my own volition.

Now I am going to find out truly how far 13 miles is - I signed up to walk the Des Moines Marathon 1/2 marathon race in October. I needed a walking goal to keep me motivated - and now I've got a whopper.

http://www.desmoinesmarathon.com/site3.aspx

The thing I've learned about setting goals from WalkingWorks is that you just don't go out and run a (half) marathon. You baseline, and you gradually build toward your accomplishment by setting short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals.

Here's my baseline: I started running and walking regularly right after the first of the year, and after 4 months, I can run/walk 3 miles. Slowly, yes. But I can do it.

My short-term goal is what I'm going to accomplish today or this week. This week's training schedule includes two, 2-mile runs, and a couple of days of cross training.

My intermediate goal is to run the Dam to Dam 5K race at the end of May.

My long-term goal: move myself 13 miles. After traveling that distance for years, I can see what 13 miles looks like in my head. And, I know I can do it.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

Walking is Good For You

There's a wealth of research to prove that walking is good for you. Regular physical activity like walking can:

Reduce your risk for diabetes and heart disease, and some cancers

Research shows that walking 150 minutes per week and losing just 7% of your body weight (12-15 pounds) can reduce your risk of diabetes by 58%.

Improve your fitness

Walking just three times a week for 30 minutes can significantly increase your cardiorespiratory fitness.

Strengthen your bones and muscles

Research shows that postmenopausal women who walk approximately one mile each day have higher whole-body bone density than women who walk shorter distances, and walking is also effective in slowing the rate of bone loss from the legs.

Boost your mental health

Walking for 30 minutes, three to five times per week for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of depression.

Take it Outside

I'm a fair weather runner/walker...if it's below 50 degrees I'll probably head to the gym to use the treadmill. But now that it's finally spring in Iowa, it's time to take my workout outside.

Many people walk on treadmills because they are safe and convenient, and you can control your pace. You may find walking outside harder than a treadmill, because of terrain or the elements. But it's worth it to be able to enjoy a beautiful day or great scenery. In Des Moines, it was 70 degrees and sunny today; I couldn't wait to get away from desk and take a walk outside!

Here are a few tips to help you transition to walking outside:

• Find a comfortable pace. Time yourself if you want to try to match or build up to your treadmill time.
• Walking outside puts different stress on your muscles, so make sure to stretch and get a good warm up and cooldown.
• If you want to walk a certain distance, map out a route with your car's GPS or odometer, so you'll know far to go.
• Just do your best! It will take time to adapt to walking on harder surfaces like roads and sidewalks.

Walk at Work

Take part in National Walk @ Lunch Day, April 29.

National Walk @ Lunch Day is a Blue Cross and Blue Shield initiative to encourage people to add more steps to their daily work routine.

Walking at work is as simple as finding ways to move more during the day. For me that means trying to rely a little less on e-mail; instead I'll walk over to a co-worker's desk to discuss issues in person. It means taking the stairs - even if it's just a flight or two it will get my heart pumping!

Tomorrow I'm going to go for a walk with a co-worker over lunch. I scheduled the time on my calendar so I won't miss this important "meeting!"

Share your ideas about creating a walking-friendly workplace.

More Shoe Buying Tips

• Shop at the end of the day. That's when your feet are largest.


• Wear your walking socks. Avoid cotton socks if you can; sweat + friction can cause blisters. Read more at: http://walking.about.com/od/socks/a/socks022006.htm


• Buy big enough shoes. Your feet swell when you walk, and they need room as they go through the walking motion. You need at least a finger's width beyond the end of your longest toe (usually your big toe).


• Spend some time in the shoes you are trying on. Take a few laps around the store to make sure the shoes feel great.

Choosing the Right Shoes

When it comes to walking, you don't really need a lot of gear except for a good pair of shoes.

There's no one best shoe. Each person's feet are different, so look for a shoe that fits you comfortably and best fits your walking style and goals, as well as your weight and stride.

If you're not sure, ask a shoe fitting expert for help. I just did this myself, and found that my previous tennis shoes were a half-size too small. No wonder my toes were aching!

Check out my new kicks.

10,000 Steps A Day

Most health experts recommend walking 10,000 steps a day to maintain your health. How far is 10,000 steps? For the average person, it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps to walk 5 miles.

The good news is that you don't have to walk all 10,000 steps at once. It's easy add steps to your day - and you can make it fun.

• Walk your dog
• Window shop
• Run errands on foot
• Walk over to visit a neighbor
• Take a walk with your spouse
• Chase your kids around the lawn
• Walk in different places: a park, by the water, in a new neighborhood
• Start a walking club with friends or co-worker

My favorite way to take a walk? Pushing my two-year-old daughter in her stroller around our neighborhood. We get to spend time together, and I burn extra calories pushing her along!

Walking Plans

When it comes to exercise, what keeps me motivated is setting a goal - like completing a 5K race or charity walk, and then progressing toward that goal day-by-day. That's why I like walking programs, like the ones you can find on www.wellmark.com/walkingworks. I can see at a glance my exercise challenge for the day, and what I'll need to accomplish for the week. This helps me plan my workout schedule around work, school, and family. And there's nothing I love more than crossing off each workout as I complete it.

Besides the walking plans on http://www.wellmark.com/, there's many walking workouts to check out online. These are links to a couple of my favorites, because they helped me go from walking to running my first 5K.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/Programs/couch_to_5k_overview.htm

Got a walking plan you'd recommend? Share it with the group.

Set a Goal. Make it S.M.A.R.T.

When setting a fitness goal, it's important that your goal be S.M.A.R.T. for it to be a success.

Specific
Measurable
Action-oriented
Realistic
Time oriented

Share your walking or fitness goal, and get support from others to help you reach it!