Tag Archive for: walking

Walking or Running…Which is better for you?

Both walking, and running require energy to move our bodies over a given distance.  Walking can provide many of the same health benefits associated with running, however, running will produce the fastest physiological changes.

Which is better walking or running for fitness and health?

  • We need to walk more frequently and twice the distance in order to get the effects of running
  • Running is a constant challenge to the body and running burns about 2.5 times more calories than walking

 

The mechanics of walking and running

Joint impact, muscles, and type of stride used are different for walking than for running. The different strides engaged when running and walking affect the power efficiency, maximum speed and impact level.

Knee angle

Your knees are bent more during a running stride than they are during a walking stride. This increases the force exerted on the ground during running in comparison to the force exerted during walking.

Maximum speed

An average walking speed is about 5 kilometers per hour, verses an average running speed of 8.5 kilometers per hour.

Ground contact

The difference between running and walking strides is the length of time each foot is in contact with the ground. When walking, at least one of your feet will be in contact with the ground at any given time. When running, there is a period of time during each stride in which neither of your feet is in contact with the ground.

The impact to the body when running is much higher than walking; because the foot to surface impact ratio for running is three to four times your body weight compared to about one times your body weight for walking.

Energy

The different strides used for walking and running affect the energy used in executing each type of stride at different speeds.

Injury

One of the big differences between running and walking is there is a greater risk of injury in running. Running is considered a high impact exercise, because it can cause injury to the hips, knees and ankle joints. Walking is a low impact activity and is much less damaging to the joints.

Walking and running are low-cost, year-round activities; so whether you choose walking, or running, staying active is part of a healthy lifestyle. Both walking and running will help promote weight loss, improve your sleep, elevate your mood, improves circulation, improves muscle tone, boost your energy level, decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels and decrease the risk heart disease.

/by

How To Increase Your Daily Physical Activity

We all know the benefits of exercise.  Yet many of use still find it difficult to incorporate physical activity into our daily lives. Most of use have good intentions, but do not seem to find the time to exercise.

Not enough time is the number one excuse for remaining inactive.  We believe that five or ten minutes isn’t going to effect anything.

Too tired is the second most common excuse. Sitting at a desk all day will make you feel tired and sluggish.

For any of the other excuses you come up with just remember, they are only that, acknowledge them for what they are and do it anyway. Remember it’s important for your well being to add physical activity into your lifestyle.

Stop thinking exercise and start thinking about fun recreational physical activities that you can do with friends.

What can you do at home?

Modern technology has taken most of the physical activity out of chores. You need to replace the lost physical activity with something else. For instance, when you are watching television, use the commercial breaks to, fold laundry or unload the dishwasher. When working at a your computer remember to take “physical breaks” every 40 minutes, for 5 minutes to tone your muscles with a few easy stretching and strengthening exercises.

What can you do at the office?

Next time you need to talk to a co-worker, why not hand-deliver a message instead of picking up the phone or texting. The simplest way to increase your physical activity at work is to walk during your lunch, and not to use the elevator or stairs.

Bring your runners to work and turn your coffee breaks into a “stress-reduction and revitalization break,”  you can also try biking to work a few days per week.

What can you do with our cars for short trips?

For most of us, it is just force of habit combined with very little time. If you stop to think about this, does an extra 10 minutes really make such a big difference to your schedule? Think of the saving of wear and tear on your car and think of the benefits a quick walk will do.

If you must drive, park in the farthest space in the parking lot, so you will have to walk for an extra few minutes – remember it all adds up!

Walking!

Walking is the easiest and most popular way to increase your level of physical activity. Try to incorporate walking every day… go window shopping, walk around your neighbourhood, remember if you make it fun, there is a greater chance that you will continue.

The key to success is variety; so change your routes, change your pace, change your stride.

Plan ahead

  • Get organized.
  • Planning helps to overcome the tendency to put off the activity when the time comes to actually “do it”.
  • Remember to place your runner and socks by the front door the night before so they are ready to leave with you to go to work.
  • If your family is going hiking on the week end, make sure that everyone’s out door gear is ready and near the door, also that all supplies including the food is ready to go. This will help you to overcome the “ I’m so comfortable and cozy let’s go next weekend” scenario.

Make this month, the month you make a commitment to increase your physical activity on a daily basis. You will soon find out that it is much easier than you thought and that the reward of feeling better and having more energy will motivate you to keep “up the pace” and to find more creative ways to fit fitness, into your daily schedule!

/by

Walking For Exercise

running-shoes_13602015Want to feel healthy, more energetic, less stiff…then get out and walk! The average person will walk approx.115,000 miles in a lifetime which is more than four trips around the earth’s equator.

The benefits of walking, go on and on. The Canadian Podiatric Medical Association recommends walking to ward off a number of related illnesses. Following is a list of benefits:

  • Strengthens your heart and lungs, and improves circulation.
  • Reduces obesity and high blood pressure.
  • Boosts your metabolic rate and lowers your cholesterol.
  • Improves muscle tone.
  • Reduces stress and tension.
  • Reduces arthritis pain; stops bone tissue decay.

Walking actually strengthens your heart and lungs…thereby improving circulation. Your heart is a muscle, so it is increasing in strength just as leg muscles increase in strength when they work out.

Circulatory fitness is measured by how much oxygen you transport in your bloodstream to the muscles and how much of the oxygen the muscles use. The more fit you are, the more oxygen you can use (and the more calories you burn). By walking, you elevate your heart rate and, you teach the body how to use oxygen efficiently.

The a good healthy walk should make you “warm and slightly out of breath.” Compared to rigorous sports such as racquetball or running, walking burns less, but it is an activity you can do on a regular basis.

Waking is far more effective for body endurance, tone and overall health. Walking consistently everyday, will have a more positive effect on your body rather than a two hour golf game once a week.

Many physicians recommend adding regular walking and exercise as a natural treatment to relieve a bout of depression. The cause of depression is related to brain chemistry. By getting your brain to release more of the happy chemicals – the endorphins – you achieve naturally what many prescription drugs and herbs try to do.

Walking tips:

  • Move at a steady pace. Move briskly enough to make your heart beat faster.
  • Breathe deeply.
  • Keep good posture. Walk with your head erect, back straight, abdomen flat.
  • Swing your arms, and keep them relaxed
  • Maintain proper foot motion. As you walk, land on the heel of your foot and roll forward to push off on the ball of your foot.

Waking can improve your health, your mental abilities, and allow you to enjoy nature; just by putting one foot in front of the other.

/by

What are the benefits of walking?

bigstockphoto_running_5360616.s600x600Article by The Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of British Columbia. 

Walking, what is it?

Walking is easy on the joints and gets your heart pumping. It’s easy to do, inside or outside and costs almost nothing.

What are the benefits of walking?

  • Improves cardiovascular fitness by strengthening your heart
  • Improves bone health
  • Lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease
  • Reduce stress and symptoms of depression
  • Improves physical ability and reduces risk of physical disability in older adults

Who should/can do it?

  • Walking is great for any age and any skill level!

How to do it safely?

  • Proper footwear is a must!
  • Invest in a walking or running shoes with good ankle and arch support and a cushioned sole.

How often can you/should you do it?

  • Brisk walking counts as a moderate intensity activity. It should make you feel warm and slightly winded, and increase you heart rate.
  • Follow the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. Aim for 150 minutes or more each week of moderate to vigourous intensity activity if you are an adult, or 60 minutes a day if you are under 18 years of age.
  • You can accumulate 150 minutes per week or 60 minutes daily by doing 10 to 15 min intervals of brisk walking a day.

Goal Setting

  • Work up from a low intensity to higher intensity by increasing your stride length and your speed.
  • Start out at your normal walking pace and gradually increase the amount of time that you walk, the speed at which you walk, or both on a daily or weekly basis.
  • Every try speed walking? A good walking speed is 4.5-6.5 km per hour (2-4mph). Once you hit 6.5 km/h, it gets more difficult because it feels like you should probably turn it into a run. Doing a proper speed walk can help at higher speeds.
/by

How To Combat The 9-5 Effects Of Sitting At A Desk

For those of us that work at a desk job 5 days a week, finding ways to minimize the effects of sitting for long periods of time can seem like just another chore to add to the list of things to complete. But even simple changes can make a big difference to your over all health. Here are a few quick and simple fixes you can add to your daily work routine.

Walking:
Grab a coffee, walk to pick up your lunch, or go for a quick walk around the office.  Always take the stairs instead of the elevator; if you are rushed for time, take the evelvatore half way and walk the other half.  Any walking is better than not walking!

Stretching At Your Desk:
One of the worst things you can do for your body is to sit still, it’s hard on your bones, muscles and joints. A lot of low back conditions happen from sitting for long periods of time, because the muscles get weak. Stand up and sit down with no hands to burn a few calories, shrug your shoulders to release your neck muscles, or keep a small set of dumbbells or resistance bands under your desk and use them while you’re on the phone. Try sitting on an exercise ball for part of your day instead of a chair, which will help your posture and keep your abdominal muscles tight.

Stay Hydrated:
It’s important to stay hydrated throughout the day, staying hydrated can help keep your energy up,  and reduce headaches.

Stay Accountable:
With the help of technology,  it’s easy to stay on track and hold yourself accountable.  Wearable devices like Fitbit or Jawbone can help you count your steps, let you know how many calories you’ve burned, and can remind you when it’s time to get up and move.

Cruise The Web:

Mental Health Experts are now encouraging workers to crusie the web. Researchers at the National University of Singapore discovered that web browsing rejuvenated exhausted employees and boosted their productivity; it’s like going for a coffee or snack break.

Desk Hygiene:

Multitasking during lunch is very common; with over 60 percent of us eating lunch or snacking at our desks. This habit can be unsanitary, leaving hidden bacteria on desktops which can encourage bacteria to grow.  The desktop should be treated the same way as a kitchen counter-top or table.

There are also steps your employer can take to promote wellness in the workplace:

Encourage Exercise:
Offer discounts or partially subsidize memberships to a local gym or exercise club, or consider bringing in yoga, or tai chi instructors for lunchtime classes.

House-call:
One of the most innovative trends in workplace wellness has been “the doctor’s office visit”. On-site health clinics give employees the opportunity to schedule office visits for routine care without taking time off work.

Encourage Healthy Snacking:
Offer healthy snack options by replacing sodas with juice, or sparkling water, and stocking snack machines with nuts, dried fruit, and other healthy options.

Every small step or change you incorporate into your daily work routine, makes a difference to your overall physical and mental health.

/by

Rules to Keep You Motivated | Walking

Rules to Keep You Motivated | WalkingIf you are looking for an easy, inexpensive way to exercise and get healthy, walking is your answer. Walking is good at strengthening muscles, helps brings oxygen and nourishment to your joints, and improves your circulatory system. But like all exercise programs…..how do you stay motivated? Using these 5 basic rules will help you stay on track!

Don’t Exercise Alone

One of the best ways to start and maintain a regular exercise program like walking, is to find a friend who is committed to the same goal as you. If you can’t find anyone in your neighbourhood, try joining an organized program like a walking club at your local Rec Centre.

No one says that your walking buddy can’t have 4 legs! If you don’t have a dog, volunteer to walk your neighbours.

Change up Your Routine

To make your activity more enjoyable, find ways to make it different and interesting, by varying your route.

For example, if walking is your passion, head out for your walk each day in a different direction, and at least once a week try doing something completely different, such as a walk in the park, on the beach or in the woods. You can also head down to your local school or Rec Centre, and do some laps around the track.

Keep Track of  Your Progress

Keeping track of how far, long and often you walk is an important walking strategy because it gives you a real sense of accomplishment.

One of the best motivational tools is a pedometer, because it gives you immediate feedback.

Have the Correct Footwear/Equipment

A pair of shoes/runners is the only equipment you need for walking, so it’s important to choose the right pair for you.

When you go shopping for shoes make sure to measure both feet, and buy the size that fits the bigger foot ( you can always add an insole, if needed, for the smaller foot). Bring the type of socks that you would wear to walk, and also your orthotics if you wear them. You will need to replace your shoes about every 500 miles (as often as every 4 months if you walk every day).

Excuses, excuses, excuses

The number one obstacle to exercising is EXCUSES!

People who make exercise a priority always find the time to fit their exercise routine into their day. If you are not quite there yet, make sure that you have a plan B.  If the weather is horrible, take your walks inside (walk at a mall or indoor track). If you are not feeling well,  or your walking buddy is a no show, go for a short walk; even walking around the block will help you stay on track.

/by