Fitness Friday. If a journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step, this might be the next step (at least for walkers).  Last month, I discussed walking as one of the easiest and most reliable forms of physical activity to incorporate into a fitness lifestyle.  Another key to staying active is setting goals and staying motivated.  Pedometers (digital devices that count steps) are excellent devices for reaching fitness goals in aerobic (or cardio) activity*. Yet, it wasn’t until recently (November 2007) that scientist conducted the research that proves this.  The physician Dena Bravata led a group of Stanford University scientists in a systemic review of studies that used pedometers to increase physical activity and ultimately improve health.  In their research, which was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, they concluded that pedometer usage combined with specific goal setting and exercise logs resulted in significant increases in physical activity.  Previously sedentary patients increased their physical activity by nearly an additional mile of walking per day.  More importantly, they found a significant reduction in blood pressure.  A reduction associated with decreasing the risk of stroke in middle-aged patients in previous studies.

The best way to add a pedometer to your walking program is to first count, then assess, your daily steps after one full week of use to establish your baseline.  You then increase that number incrementally. For many of us,10,000 steps a day (roughly the equivalent of 5 miles) is a lofty goal.  You might enjoy The 20% Boost Program at pbs.org because it helps you gradually build up from your baseline.  A pedometer when combined with goal-setting is an easy way to track your progress and also motivate you to stay active on a given day until you’ve met your goal.  Dr. Bravata and her colleges concluded:

“Despite the abundance of lay literature on the use of pedometers, our study is the first published synthesis of the evidence. Our results suggest that the use of these small, relatively inexpensive devices is associated with significant increases in physical activity and improvements in some key health outcomes, at least in the short term. The extent to which these results are durable over the long term is unknown.”

Who among you uses exercise logs or diaries?  How do logs and goal-setting help you get the most out of your walking workout?  Leave me a comment sharing the ways you’ve discovered to get an urban (or suburban) aerobics workout.  The best comment will win a pedometer. (Comments will close on Friday, April 3.)

*Note:  The American College of Sports Medicine and the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans each advise adults to get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity no less than 5 days of the week

Sources:

Bravata, D.M., Smith-Spangler, C. et al. Pedometers to Increase Physical Activity and Improve Health:  A Systematic Review [Electronic Version]. JAMA. 2007;298(19):2296-2304. Available at <http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/298/19/2296#AUTHINFO>

The 20% Boost Program: Fit Walking into Your Life.  In America’s Walking: Personal Health & Fitness.  Cited March 27, 2009.  Available at <http://www.pbs.org/americaswalking/health/health20percentboost.html>

Chapter 4:  Active Adults. In Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans [Electronic Version]. Cited March 27, 2009.  Available at  <http://www.health.gov/PAGuidelines/guidelines/chapter4.aspx>

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Fitness Friday. Last month in the debut post of this series, I emphasized the importance of integrating fitness routines into your lifestyle for lasting success. Walking is an ideal fitness choice for several reasons. Walking

• Can be done almost anywhere
• Has a low-impact on the body
• Requires no practice
• Requires no equipment (save a good comfortable pair of shoes)
• and it’s FREE

There are also several essential health benefits from lowering your blood pressure to strengthening back muscles and bones. This is great because it extends your mobility and independence as you age. In fact, the original Report of the Surgeon General on Physical Activity and Health (1996) found that the most popular leisure-time physical activities among adults were walking and gardening/yard work. I personally enjoy walking because it fits easily into what I’ve come to call urban aerobics. Fooling myself into getting that heart rate up works better for me than a dedicated work out where I have nothing to do but think, “ok I’m working out now…breath rate…increasing…heart rate…quickening”. With urban aerobics, I walk to the Metro station. Often I’ll choose the next closest metro (rather than the closest). It also includes taking the stairs or walking while on the escalator. Walking to the corner market and the local grocery store are also frequent activities. The key is to keep moving briskly for no less than a 10-minute duration. What I’m describing is consistent with the Surgeon General’s recommendation to accumulate 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week. Enough, that is to reduce your risk for disease and help you lead a longer, healthier life. You may have even heard that walking 10,000 steps in a day (roughly the equivalent of 5 miles) is one such way to achieve this goal.

from MayoClinic.com

Getting started

As an old proverb states, the journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step. Taking that step now to initiate and maintain a walking fitness routine can set you on the path toward many of the health benefits discussed earlier. The professionals at the Mayo Clinic have a few recommendations to get your walking routine started.

• Begin gradually by walking only as far or as fast as you find comfortable. Then, over several weeks’ time, you can gradually work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of walking most days each week.
• Use proper technique by using the correct posture and movements is essential. (Take a minute to study the photo above.)
• Measure the intensity of your workout. As you walk, measure the intensity of your workout by checking your heart rate. Knowing your heart rate allows you to increase the intensity to maximize your workout or slow down to avoid overdoing it.

For even more on fitness and walking, check out The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness on the bookshelf (widget) to the right. As you work walking into your fitness routine, please share with me the ways you’ve discovered to get an urban (or suburban) aerobics workout.

Sources:

1996 Report of the Surgeon General on Physical Activity and Health at www.cdc.gov 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans at www.health.gov and Walking for fitness: How to trim your waistline, improve your health at MayoClinic.com

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Today is Yoga Day USA. An annual event sponsored by the Yoga Alliance where hundreds of yoga teachers and schools offer free or nearly free yoga workshops to Americans across the country.

Thousands of Americans — the young and old, the flexible and not-so-flexible, athletes and couch potatoes and those of every heritage will discover, rediscover or continue with their current practice through a workshop perfect for them.

Find a workshop near you.

Source: http://www.yogadayusa.org

12 phases of the Sun Salutation

On the fourth Friday of every month, the Health Advocate and enBloom will feature various topics on fitness and exercise. Every year, millions resolve to ‘get in shape’ in the new year and perhaps right about now many are beginning to waiver or falter in this effort. It is so important to remember that success depends upon integrating fitness routines into your lifestyle. Yoga makes a good fitness choice for several reasons.

• The cost of yoga practice is quite minimal.
• Once you learn some key principles through instruction, it can be practiced in a variety of settings.
• There exist yoga styles for individuals of all fitness levels.

Most Westernized yoga classes focus on learning physical poses. They also teach some form of breathing technique as well as a meditation technique. While some yoga classes are designed purely for relaxation, there are styles of yoga that teach you how to move your body in new ways. It is the practice of one of these styles of yoga that offers the greatest health benefits by enabling you to develop your flexibility, strength, and balance. These are the key health benefits of yoga practice.

Sources:

The health benefits of yoga are detailed in the ace-yoga-study and Health Benefits of Yoga

Start now:

Plan to attend a free workshop near you in observance of Yoga Day USA on Saturday (January 24, 2009).

The Yoga Alliance, the international gold standard for professional yoga teachers and schools can help you locate a local school.