Archive for walking
Study pounds home message to women: Exercise or gain
Posted by: | CommentsLOS ANGELES — Gloria Hale rose at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, as usual, to swim laps before work. Active though she is, however, the 55-year-old Orange County, Calif., woman was a bit stunned to learn the latest advice from researchers regarding exercise — that women should work out 60 minutes a day, seven days a week, to maintain a normal weight over their lifetime. “Most people are going to say, ‘No way. I don’t have time for that,’” said Hale, a trim 5-foot-5 and 138 pounds.
The 60-minute-a-day recommendation, released online Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association., is aimed at women of normal weight who don’t want to diet but do want to avoid gaining weight over their lifetime. Most Americans gain about 1.5 pounds a year between age 25 and 55.
Full Article>>http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=10&a=445294
Los Angeles Times
All Change on the Exercise and Diet Belief for Osteoporosis
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s undeniable that losing weight if you are carrying too much of it has positive health benefits, but what isn’t so closely examined is the relationship between weight reduction and its impact on your bones.
One of the most frustrating things I find on writing about health is that you are always having to re-examine previously held, and tried and tested, beliefs. However, this is also a good thing as you should never believe anything anyone tells you without testing it out for yourself and asking questions.
Which brings me to new research from the University of Missouri that looked at the effect of weight loss, weight bearing exercise and bone density. It’s undeniable that losing weight if you are carrying too much of it has positive health benefits, but what isn’t so closely examined is the relationship between weight reduction and its impact on your bones.
During weight loss, indeed throughout your life, your bones are being broken down and replaced with new bone but during weight loss this happens at an accelerated rate. This can mean your bone density being reduced which can lead to increased fragility.
You may think that increasing your weight bearing exercise would compensate for this, but in this new study, the researchers found that such exercise, such as fast walking or jogging, did not prevent the increased bone turnover caused by weight loss.
This is not to diminish the impact of such exercise, but if you are going on a diet it would be wise to increase the amounts of bone building elements such as progesterone, calcium and vitamin D or take a specialised bone building formula during the period you are dieting.
Exercise Not Your Thing? Try Walking
Posted by: | CommentsI admit, I was never the exercising-while-pregnant type. I just figured my body was already doing plenty of work without me adding some huffing and puffing to the mix. But I also wanted to be in a fairly decent physical shape so I could successfully handle labor and delivery.
Having said that, I was always a huge fan of walking. I must admit, I really started because to say that I was walking every day didn’t make me sound like the lazy bump I often wanted to be. But I really got hooked and when I learned of all the amazing pregnancy benefits, I was definitely all in.
For example, did you know that walking is a great way to tone muscles, get a solid cardiovascualar workout, and help keep your body regular. It’s really a great way to start for the not-that-active-types like myself. Plus, I found it to be a great stress reliever.
To start, go for a slow walk and then build your way up to brisk stride for about 20 to30 minutes. After you get your doctor’s okay, you can walk everyday if you’d like.
But there a few things to remember, like maintaining correct posture. The recommended adivce is to stand up straight, avoid leaning forward or back, keep your chin up and parallel to the ground, suck in your stomach and tuck in your bottom. If you rotate your hips slightly forward as you tuck this will help keep you from arching your back.
Just remember, like with any exercise,don’t overdo it. Overexertion and a raised body temperature is not good for your growing baby. So remember to walk in moderation. Many prenatal exercise experts recommend using the “talk test”, that is, if you are having difficulty talking in full sentences and can only huff and huff out a few short phrases then it is time to slow down.
Oh yes, and don’t forget to drink plenty of water to keep yourself properly hydrated before and after excercise.
on March 28, 2010 at 1:10 PM
Flexible Fitness: Walking is par for the course
Posted by: | CommentsAs the spring approaches, golfers start feeling that excitement of returning to a couple hours on the course, challenging their skill and hoping for a great season ahead.
The majority of amateur golfers choose to ride a golf cart when playing a round of golf. This season make it your goal to walk the course more often to take full advantage of the many health benefits of playing golf.
The American Heart Association recommends all individuals increase their physical activity in an effort to fight against obesity, diabetes, cancer, stroke, heart disease, osteoporosis and high blood pressure.
One method to monitor your physical activity level, endorsed by the AHA, is to achieve 10,000 steps per day. Research has shown that walking a typical 18-hole golf course is the equivalent of 10,000 to 11,000 steps and is about five miles. This means that even walking a nine-hole course gets you at least 5,000 steps and 2-1/2 miles. It is estimated that golfers who drive carts burn around 200 to 400 calories per 18 holes whereas walkers can burn 700 to even 1,000 calories.
Walking while golfing can strengthen the heart muscle, lower blood pressure and lower bad cholesterol levels. In addition, it increases your lung capacity which delivers more oxygen to your muscles producing more energy to hit the ball.
Full Article – http://www.dailynewstribune.com/lifestyle/columnists/x1514353812/Flexible-Fitness-Walking-is-par-for-the-course
Falling Temperatures Don’t Mean You Cannot Exercise Outdoors, Says Expert
Posted by: | CommentsITHACA, NY — Don’t let the temperature temper your exercise resolution. Even when the temperature drops you can still keep that New Year’s exercise resolution, and you can still do it safely outdoors. Your body can adapt to the falling temperatures, according to Gary Sforzo, an expert on the physiology of exercise.
“If you are concerned about hypothermia, you don’t need to be unless the temperatures are extreme,” says Sforzo, a professor of exercise and sport sciences at Ithaca College. “The body produces a lot of heat during exercise and when it produces heat, it pretty much diminishes any chance of hypothermia. The key is continuous exercise. If you go outdoors for a walk or a run, just move continuously. Don’t stop for five or ten minutes to talk to your neighbor. Hikers sometimes get into trouble if they stop for lunch. As long as you are moving, the muscles produce metabolic heat and that metabolic heat will keep you pretty warm, sometimes to the point where you need to remove clothing.”
What you wear in the cold plays an important role also. Sforzo suggests a synthetic fiber next to your skin that wicks away perspiration — cotton is not a good choice for that. Also be sure to have a windproof jacket.
“The danger zone is typically in the -20 to -30 windchill zone. When the ambient temperature is in the single digits or below and you have wind, you can have some problems. When the ambient temperature gets to 20 below with even the slightest wind, then obviously hypothermia is a problem if you stand around. But in those conditions you are also looking at the potential of frostbite.”
Frostbite is mainly a problem with the extremities. Vasoconstriction can decrease the amount of blood flowing to them so you have to keep those extremities covered with a hat, gloves and good footwear. The nose is a tough one and Sforzo recommends wearing a scarf as high as you can get it on your face.
If you are in doubt about the outdoor conditions, Sforzo suggests checking out a table that shows the danger zone on a wind chill chart before heading out to exercise (http://bit.ly/XtWhn). And he reminds us the chart is for exposed flesh while standing still. “We fare better when covering skin and exercising.”
Also keep in mind that your performance may go down in cold weather.” Cold is not conducive to your personal best performance. Muscles perform better when they are warm. Even Olympians will not get their best performance on the coldest day.”
The body adapts to the cold temperature so, “don’t wait until it is 5 degrees outside to have your first session. When the body adapts it will have a couple of different changes. It will shiver differently and it will more readily release hormones like epinephrine and thyroxine, which allow the body to produce heat more effectively in cold weather. Get used to the cold weather and it will be more comfortable,” said Sforzo.
So excuses begone. Avoid cabin fever, dress right, get out and stick to your resolutions. As a last bit of advice, Sforzo cautions “watch out for the ice!”
Contact: Anne Macdonald
Office: 607-274-1945
amacdonald@ithaca.edu
Reference: 2-9-10-20
KEEPING FIT: Mix it up to avoid overuse injuries
Posted by: | CommentsDuring warm weather, activities are typically performed outdoors where a variety of factors make each exercise a little different. For example, when you walk or run outside, the terrain changes throughout your course. This is especially true if you walk or run on athletic fields or dirt paths, where each step is different than the others because of uneven surfaces. Even outdoor cycling offers various speeds, gear ratios and pedal frequencies as you travel uphill, downhill and on flat sections.
This is not true of most indoor aerobic activities, at least not the way they are typically performed. Most indoor exercisers spend their training session doing one mode of activity at the same pace or intensity. For example, they may set the treadmill at 4.0 miles per hour at 2 percent incline and walk in exactly the same manner for 30 minutes. Likewise, they may program the stationary cycle for 150 watts and pedal consistently at 70 revolutions per minute for an hour.
Full Article>>http://www.patriotledger.com/lifestyle/x1124761618/KEEPING-FIT-Mix-it-up-to-avoid-overuse-injuries
How Revving Up Your Heart Rate, Even A Bit, Pays Off
Posted by: | CommentsThere’s solid evidence that aerobic fitness ups the odds of living longer. Research suggests that just 30 minutes a day, five days a week can keep you fit. The question is: How do you know you’re getting enough out of your 30-minute workout? That’s where your heart rate comes in.
Reaching your target heart rate — which is calculated based on your age, gender and resting heart rate — allows you to burn off calories without putting yourself at risk of an injury. And raising your heart rate isn’t as hard as you might think.
The minute we roll out of bed in the morning, our hearts begin to respond.
Full Article>>http://kosu.org/2010/01/how-revving-up-your-heart-rate-even-a-bit-pays-off/
Exercise May Help Prevent Dementia
Posted by: | CommentsA recent study showed promise that moderate exercise in both 30 and 40 year old men and women leads to improved cognitive function. The study also reported a potential reduced impairment of cognitive function of about 30 – 40% when exercise was present.
This means that as you age your risk for dementia could be greatly reduced if you begin or continue an exercise program. Plus, the study showed that a lot of exercise is not necessary to derive enough benefit to improve cognitive function.
Here is what the investigators reported as a guide to the frequency and intensity of the exercise performed by each participant:
• Light exercise: bowling, leisurely walking, stretching, slow dancing, and golfing using a cart.
• Moderate exercise: brisk walking, hiking, aerobics, strength training, swimming, tennis doubles, yoga, martial arts, weight lifting, moderate use of exercise machines, and golfing without use of a cart.
• Vigorous exercise: jogging, backpacking, bicycling uphill, tennis singles, racquetball, skiing, and intense or extended use of exercise machines
It is best to incorporate more of the moderate to vigorous exercises and as you can see there are many activities to choose from. So in addition to your current weight loss efforts you can also feel good about adding more “brain power” to the mix!
Source:
Exercise and Cognitive Aid
More Exercise Better in Long Run, study finds.
Posted by: | CommentsFitness effort draws crowds to Lansing mall
Posted by: | CommentsIn August 2007, a 430-pound Stanton decided to get fit by walking daily.
Jon Stanton is living proof of what a daily walking regimen can do for one’s health.
He said at first he could only walk to the end of his driveway – about 500 feet. And in September, after losing more than 200 pounds, he walked a half marathon.
The 33-year-old Ovid man joined area residents at the Lansing Mall on Saturday morning for the 7th annual Winter Warm-up with the Blues Community Challenge, organized by Community Partners in Health and Blue Cross
Blue Shield of Michigan.
Full Article>>http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20100131/NEWS01/1310509/1002/NEWS01
