Tuesday, December 26, 2006

WALKING FOR SENIORS

Walking is the best exercise for seniors if you think about enormous health benefits and low physical strain involved. If the seniors are aware how to avoid some preventable feet malady, they will really enjoy walking and reap all the benefits of walking.

On the outset, seniors should consult physician/pediatricians if they have some ailment, for example heart condition, diabetes or foot problems.

Even if walking is done at a lower pace all the golden benefits of walking will be still there. It is important for the elders to set a realistic goal. One should Pace himself to an optimum level so that the body does not suffer from any strain. Make it a point to check the feet condition regularly. The walkers idioms apply to elders too “Listen to your body.”

As I have discussed time and again walking is at its best if done with some partners. A local walking club may arrange for group walking. Elderly person generally look forward to meet people, walking may give them the chance. I know few elderly gentlemen who walk in group and enjoy the time to the brim.

Elderly persons are mines of information, anecdotes, stories of their life. Walk with them, you will mostly enjoy their company. It is also our duty to devote some amount of time with the veterans of life who contributed a lot for the wellbeing of us.

Walk with elders, it will do well for both.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

TIME OF WALKING

“Now I have made up my mind, but I could not find a time to walk. I am too busy and have to attend lots of other jobs”. This is the excuse most of us make to ourselves when we are thinking to start walking. It is not easy to find or fix a time schedule for walking.

If you are not a morning person and hates to get up in the morning, press snooze button of your alarm clock to get few more winks. Avoid morning walk. Exercises keeps a person fit and healthy but not at the cost of your small indulgence of sleeping a little late. Choose a different time, but it should not clash with your other activities. But never keep exercise on your back seat, put in front, do it regularly.

Your children are at school, go out at that time. You will be at work at noon, choose evening. Select a time which is most convenient and comfortable to you.

Weather also plays a role in selecting the time to walk. In summer, mid afternoon time is very warm to walk and in winter, mid afternoon is the warmest to walk. Forecast of inclement weather in the evening? Walk in the morning. Walking in light rain in a warm day is one of the most enjoyable experiences.

It is not a good idea to walk in the mall when a festival, say Christmas is around the corner. It is equally bad idea to walk in unknown area early in the morning and late in the evening.

Another big question is who will walk with you at the time you selected? Probably it is always better to walk with someone.

Selection of proper time is a factor for effective walking. Many give up walking for wrong time selection. But you will also have to make sure; you get a good walk for your health and for the fun in life.

Continue walking!!

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

WALKING INDOOR

It is not always possible to walk in the open. The weather condition does not permit outdoor activities for a good part of the year. Many days of the year is too rainy, snowy, of oppressive heat and they are not inviting to walkers. Even pollution in bigger cities is also a barrier to have a good walk in the open. See weather precaution in Walking Safely-IV.

Don’t get disheartened, there are ways of walking even under roof and away from these hindrances.

Treadmill is a good piece of equipment for the bad weather and for person of very big cities. You can always hop on it and walk for miles without interruption. Many treadmills have meters where you can actually see how many miles you have walked and how much calories you have burnt. Only problem is that this piece of equipment is a bit bulky and needs some space to spare for it. But if you are a member of a gym, you can walk on it in the gym.

Another problem is that you need to motivate yourself in a different way to walk on a treadmill continuously. But walking in the open has one advantage; you will have to come back the distance you have covered if you lose your interest for walking for the day. And in the way you will regain the interest.

Malls also welcome walkers to walk in their premises. Many malls have even arrangement for walkers to hang their cloak and coats. These mall-walkers become patrons of the mall later on. A good business sense of the mall and a great benefit for the mall-walkers in the bargain.

Wherever we walk it does not matter, our aim is to get the magic figure of 10000 steps. And walking has great benefit to our health and it is really fun to live in a fit body.

So my friends, continue walking.

Monday, December 04, 2006

FAMILY WALK

I like to take a walk with my husband once or twice in a week. We have the best exchanges during that time in the whole week. We both unwind and relax during the time, and we thoroughly enjoy it. The day to day chores make us completely occupied and hardly present us with a chance to unwind. We both agree that long-drives also give us similar openings but certainly not as relaxing as a walk together. Do you agree or have similar experience?

Take a walk with your children or grandchildren. The heart to heart talk will make your relation even better. Your child is in distress, take a walk together, he will certainly open up. You together can find a solution for him. Your children/grand children will cherish the memory for a very long time to come. Probably you too can remember one of your walking with your parent long back.

Walking with old age parents or grand parents is also enjoyable. Take leisurely pace and a short route, talk with them, hear them. They will be grateful to you.

Walking with family members, rather than sitting in a drawing room or dining together will give an entirely different perspective to your relations, a very informal and easy relationship. The family bond will be further strengthened. Family as a cohesive unit will sustain for a long time to come.

Your whole family may find the walking together is more entertaining than the other so called entertainments.

Family walking is about better relationship and understanding.

Thursday, November 30, 2006

WALKING: MY MOTIVATION

Some of the readers ask me how I keep myself motivated for walking. As I have discussed every person have different motivating factors. Anybody can find out a motivation for walking provided the person sits down does a little analysis.

In my profile have noted that, I am from a family which has diabetes and hypertension history. I dread these diseases. I would like to postpone them as long as I can. And I am fond of eating good food too. I am in some kind of dilemma, so I found the easy way out. Do some exercises and control your eating, but don’t overdo and underdo both. Try to find a balance and have my share of fun in life.

That is the precise reason I choose the name of my blog “walkforfun”. Interestingly now writing for the blog is another motivation for me. I go through many webpages, newspaper articles, brochures, recollect and compile them for the blog; that keeps me very motivated for my walking.

I try to convince my friends for trying walking as exercise and also talk a lot about walking in my home with my husband, now he is motivated and I am getting benefits of walking with him.

I was thinking of getting a pedometer, another great motivator for 10000 steps a day. But I am postponing it as at present I am so motivated I don’t need anything. I am sparing it for future motivation. I will try to motivate myself by doing a real time analysis as I have discussed in future if that is needed at all.

Keep walking.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

MOTIVATION FOR WALKING

Probably, staying motivated for a certain activity will be different for different person. Walking is no different. We have different motivators for our walking as exercise.

Staying out in the sun in the midst of nature and enjoying the ambience is one of the greatest motivator of walking which no other form of exercise can give.

Another unique advantage of walking is meeting people and actually socializing with them is another great motivator. Many walk only to meet their friends and have a good time with them.

Our life is full of daily routine of chores and jobs. Most of them are to be attended at all cost even if we don’t want to. These activities actually consume a lot of emotional energy and make us feel tired. A break from this boring routine is a welcome relieve. We look forward to walking which we make free only to ourselves. So our modern lifestyle is another motivator if we look a bit critically.

Have you noticed; when a person is under stress he generally makes some physical movements. Walking is a great stress reliever as I have discussed in my earlier blog. You will automatically like to walk if you are under any kind of stress.

The health benefit of walking is the greatest motivator for most walkers. We want to stay healthy and fit for us and for our dear family members. Staying in shape to be able do the things we enjoy. To indulge in some fun and excesses which are not possible for a person who is not fit and healthy.

In my opinion walking is addictive. Many of my friends agree to it. If a regular walker does not walk or have to skip his walking for the day, he feels upset. I believe it is due to the production of certain chemical endorphins in our body as the result of walking. The feel-good chemical releases the stress in us and makes us somewhat euphoric.

You can make a list the benefits that you will derive if you spend one hour in walking and the reasons for not wanting to walk. Now try to remove the reasons for not wanting to walk. You will find there are many benefits of walking as exercise and will outweigh any excuse for not doing it.

Continue walking, the surest way to health.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

SOCIAL WALKING

Build up a circle of friends

The greatest benefit of walking as exercise that no other exercise can give is probably the chance to express yourself or TALK to your walking partner. Similarly your walking friend will get equal chance.

As a result of this interaction, you will notice you have build up a circle of friends. The newly found friends have similar outlook with you and have believe in walking as exercise or as a stress buster.

Everybody has a great story to tell. Listen their stories and you will find goldmines of information in them. Tell your story too. You will not only enjoy your walk also walk many more steps more what you had intended.

Chances are there, you may come across some meaningful friendship. Friend who will stand by you in your pain and distress; and share your joy and happiness. Also you may meet a friend who may enlighten you and share his knowledge and spirituality. Every person is a hidden treasure provided we know how to unearth.

You will notice slowly your social circle has increased manifold. As a social animal, who dislikes to make some new friends?

Walking gives you a chance of socializing in a slightly unconventional way. You will enjoy the experience and thankful for the benefits.

Go out walking and make new beautiful and meaningful friendships.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

WALKING: PREPARATION

Probably walking as exercise needs least preparation. But still some preparation is required to make it most enjoyable.

First you need to make a mental note of your day’s walking route; otherwise your walking may be of far less steps than what you indented. Be clear about it and follow the route. Sometime an un-aimed walking is enjoyable but not always.

Do you have your wrist watch on to keep your time? Or your pedometer, your personal music player if you use them?

How is the weather outside? Are you armed to withstand the weather? If not, dress accordingly. I generally keep all my gears at one place beforehand, it saves me time.

Leave your walking route on your working table. Inform your partner, your family member or your neighbor, whom you are going to meet on your way out.

If you live alone lock your house, or inform your partner if he or she does not accompany you that you are going out. Greet your neighbor if you meet them, they can make out why you are out with sneakers on.

Don’t forget to loosen your muscle by doing some stress exercises before going out. You can do it on the road too. Walk a little slower for the initial five minutes or ten minutes or so and then pick up your speed to the desired level.

Greet other walkers, encourage them, motivate them and in that way you will motivate yourself too to reach your goal. Talk with your friends, co-walkers during your walking and enjoy others company.

Follow all the rules I discussed in my earlier blogs regarding traffic rules, personal safety guidelines etc.

After finishing my walk, I generally take a bath with lukewarm water. It makes me fresh. I also fill up my log of the day’s walking. I don’t follow my progress too much, but I keep a tab.

Go out and make your walking most enjoyable experience.

Friday, November 10, 2006

WALKING BENEFITS

The Stress busters at workplace

One of my walking partners was saying now handling stress in workplace is more critical than any other management practices. Stress is causing health problems, low productivity, absenteeism, substance abuse and some loose nerves in workplace. Talk with any of your friend, who works in corporate houses, they will admit they experience moderate to high level of stress.

Experts say that it takes very little to trigger that sense of anxiousness. The helplessness that generally accompanies stress makes it a dangerous cocktail. It takes sometime for a person to feel at what position he is in and by the time he is into a serious medical problem.

Experts again say, it does not take too much effort to ward off the stress. There are many ways and practices by which you can control and release your stress. Yoga, Tai-Chi-Chuan, Breathing Control exercises and even free hand exercises are used to control stress. The above are done indoor and so corporate houses/offices prefer them. Walking is another very strong stress reliever. It is an outdoor activity and it does not fit into a corporate office.

Stress leaves its effect is much beyond the corporate office, it creeps into your personal life. It can spoil a healthy relationship and will make you aggressive. You probably can not take a correct decision if you are under stress. Your health will go down and you will be most irritable person in the world, though you were nice and friendly a few months back. The best way out of the mess is stress busting and for that matter; walking. If done regularly, it will give you more benefits than any other stress busters. And the best part is that walking has very less dropout rate than any other form of exercises.

In working place you can practices walking-therapy in addition to others by following the rules below.
Park your car/vehicle a little further from your work place and walk down a few steps more.
Do not sit down all day, you can attend many jobs standing and slightly moving around. Thinking process is better while in motion. (What do you think?)
Walk down to your colleagues for any discussion, provided you have time.
If your workplace is in walkable distance from your residence, walk down at least every other day.
Fetch your stationery requirements by walking down to the other end of the office once or twice everyday.
Greet everybody while walking in the office, it will give you acceptance.
Always remember, you are to make 10,000 steps a day and you spend a good number of hours at your workplace.
Relax from your work by walking around in the office building.

It is your life. It is your duty to make it better.

Walk to make your life better.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

WALKING NIRVANA

I have discussed on virtue of walking, how it relieve your stress. Make your mind free from all those earthly anxieties that hound us day in and day out. Walking give us time to go much deeper mental stage where we can ponder about the very purpose of our existence.

The walking is to be done in a quiet known safe place and to be done alone. Go on a slow stroll first, try not to not think about the present and immediate surroundings, try to make your mind empty. You will observe your mind now disconnected from your body. Don’t worry, your subconscious mind is still with you and it will take care of immediate exigencies. Let your mind be free.

The movement of the body brings movement to our mind too. There will be a synergy between your mind and body, which you may have never experienced before. The synergy will not be there in case of strenuous exercises. As it was an advice to mediate staying still.

To dwell on the fundamentals of life we need to do positive thinking and reinforce affirmations of the purpose of our existence. We are happy to be here in this beautiful world and serve as we were deputed to serve. We can feel the wholeness within us.

The regularity of breathing which becomes deeper after sometime of walking is a good exercise. There will be a perfect rhythm of breathing, movement and our thinking. Yoga recommends this kind of exercise.

After walking in this fashion for some time, you will be surprised;
you can use the time to connect with God,
undisturbed by other intrusions.
You can use the time of walking for prayer and to receive spiritual inspiration.

Walking brings new experiences, new meaning of life and probably new lease of life, the ultimate NIRVANA. It depends on how you use it. Walking is also much beyond simple exercise; it is for total wellbeing of our body and mind.

Walk to discover yourself!!

Sunday, November 05, 2006

WALKING AWAY STRESS

Exercise increases blood flow in one’s body, including the brain. The result is that the person becomes mentally sharper. His analytical power increases by manifold. Good chess players play physical games before any major tournament.

Does exercise make you happy?
It is established by scientific studies that walking makes you happy.

Why?
Because, walking produces a group of chemical in your brain, the endorphins, which make you happy. The chemical is produced more if you walk at brisk pace; even at slower rate mood elevation is evident in many persons.

On the other hand, walking gives you time to think and keep you out of stressful environments. Walking also refreshes you by allowing inhalation of fresh air and thereby invigorates you.

Certain group of our body muscles becomes tense as a result of stress. Relaxation of these muscles by the mild exercise like walking helps in the process.

If you are tensed up, under stress, talk to yourself, your walking partner and vent out the steam or anger. You will feel relaxed.

To me the maximum benefit is given by the time I get to introspect and think about the problem, I mostly come up with an answer or solution. I also shout a lot in an excluded place to vent out any anger left in me after walking down there which takes me around forty five minutes. The anger or steam inside me does no good to me or to anybody.

Try this method, I am confident, you will also feel much relaxed if you have to face any stress in your life.

However, if you are under severe depression or stress for a prolonged period, meet a medical practitioner. He may also prescribe you walking as a part of his treatment.

Walk for walking away stress.

Friday, November 03, 2006

WALKING METER

Pedometer

You can use a pedometer or step counter to count how many steps you have made during your walking. The device is simple and works by using pendulum which senses hip movement and display it. Pedometer is becoming popular and a motivator to achieve the magic figure of 10,000 steps a day, which many takes as the benchmark to achieve the desired result of walking. Often worn in belt, you can use pedometer all day or during your walking.

While there are many brands of pedometer are available, some gives more informations than just the count of your steps like calorie estimates, clocks, timers, stopwatches and speed measurement, 7-day memory, pulse rate readers etc.

Pedometer accuracy depends on how you set it. Do not forget to learn how to set while buying it. You can also also use the Google Map Pedometer, an online tool to measure the length of your walking route. Check this against your pedometer reading. You can have a fairly accurate measurement of your walking distance later on.

You can keep a track of your progress by recording the day’s count and formulate a program to improve your walking. Only thing is to avoid the accidental reset of the pedometer. Some model can take care of the problem by itself.

This little inexpensive gadget can tell you exactly how many steps you have taken towards your goal. This will eventually push you to achieve the target number of steps a day. You certainly walk more steps and that is your objective.

(Bebco, you were right to point out the utility of pedometer for walking. I have gone through few pages and compiled the above for the benefit of all as you advised.)

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

WALKING MUSIC

Music player

Music is a great mood manipulator. It can excite, sadden, energize and soothe one’s mind. A good tune comes back to our mind and we keep humming it. Different people have different choices of music. Music is based mainly on beats. Energizing beats can be used to make a brisk walk. Walking to the beat of music can extract optimum walk for you.

Choosing music for walk is the foremost part. There are few music stores and websites which can supply this kind of music. Music for walking are specially designed to different types of walkers. However, it is the liking of the walker which music may suit his style of walk.

Next part is the selection of music player. Any light weight personal music player will serve the purpose. I personally like the light weight flash or hard disk based digital music player. You can pick a music player from a store depending on how much you want to spend on it. There are many personal music players to choose from. Headphone is also a matter of selection. Button type or light weight headphone will be better suited for walking.

Some mobile phone acts as good music player too. You can use them as music player with headphone during your walk.

Another part is to secure the music player. Generally the personal music players have their own devices for securing to one’s body. It may be a belt, pockets or just hang as a necklace.

There is a debate “is headphone a safety hazard for walker”. Unless the volume is raised to a very high deafening level, it should not be. But there are some statistics to cite for it.

It is entirely your choice. If you want to use music to increase the walking pace or efficiency, let the music play at a lower volume so that you can hear other sounds too. Keep your chin up, so that you can spot any potential danger.

Music or no music, continue walking!!

Sunday, October 29, 2006

WALKING SAFELY - IV

(Awareness to pollution)

We all are not that fortunate to walk in pollution free environment of countyside. Most of us now a day are living in cities and towns where pollution in various form are a feature of everyday. The pollutant which concerns walking is the air pollution. The vehicular pollution level in most cities is alarmingly high.

The main airborne pollutants are particulate matters, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxides from diesel engines, motor engines and factories burning fuel. Lead pollution was a major concern a few years back, but now the level is significantly less.

Sound pollution is another concern for people in cities and towns. The honking horns, sounds of running engines and the blaring music can be really tiresome for some people. It is said that if a person is exposed to high decibel sound for a long time it can leave some effect on him. It is advisable to stay away from high decibel sound.

Though sun is beneficial for us in some ways but exposure for longer duration is not recommended. It is wise to carry sun screen lotion, sun hat and sunglasses if you want to take a walk in sunny weather.

People who suffer from asthma or lung condition are at greater risk if exposed to pollution. In certain season the pollen of flowers also give still higher risk. They can use the inhaler before going out for walking.

Though from above it seem to be a pretty bad picture if you consider pollution alone. But actually it is not so. As human, we are designed to adapt to every environment, we have already adjusted to pollution of today. Only awareness of the same will help you to stay out of pollution prone zones. The effect of pollution does not take away the benefits of walking. Only thing is avoiding the busy roads and the rush hours. Walk in parks and residential areas of town where pollution level is much below which may concern you.

Wishes for a happy walking!!

Monday, October 23, 2006

WALKING SAFELY - III

(Forest trail)

If you enjoy walking in forest trail or some adventurous spots or routes, you are to take some extra precautions and follow another set of rules of caring for the environment.

It is always better to follow the trail, rather than wandering out of it. Getting lost in forest trail if we do not have enough knowledge on it, is very easy. It not only bad for you, it is bad for the forest too.

Walking alone on trail is not advisable. You should have at least one companion, if not walking in a group. All of you should have some knowledge on medical first aid and basic survival trainings.

Let your family, friends or neighbor know where you are going. Leave a note at your residence on the locations you are planning to visit or the route you will be following.

Even if you are going for a few hours take some emergency supply with you like bottled water, few bars of chocolate, first aid kit, medical supply if you take it regularly, torch light, signal device to draw attention, and an extra layer of clothing. A rain proof cloak is very useful if you expect rain during the time /season.

It is better to walk with a comfortable boot and your body should be covered as much possible on a jungle trail.

Remember help may not be readily available in this kind of walking, go prepared. One should be able to detect medical emergencies like heart attack and so on.

Never leave any fire without dousing completely before leaving the site. Proper care should be taken for waste disposal.

The wild animals do not attack human unless they are provoked. So try to avoid them and always keep a safe distance from them.

Never forget to take a map of the area and a compass before venturing out.

You may be surprised to see the mobile phone connectivity in remote areas. Carry one fully charged and switched off. A small radio will keep you updated about the climate and weather during the time.

Discuss with friends, read available material, be informed about the trail you are going to venturing out.

Walking in a forest, mountain trail away from human habitat can be very relaxing and fun if we follow the above tips. Take a forest trail some times and unwind in nature, you will like every bit of it.

Have a fun filled and healthy walking!!

WALKING SAFELY- II

(Personal safety awareness)

Terry is always worried of walking citing personal safety, he generally does not feel comfortable in and around the area where he generally does his walking. We can minimize our risks of walking if we follow a set of simple rules.

For him and for all of us, I have tried to frame some to do list after going through some sites and discussions with fellow walkers. We can add few rules here and there to make the rules more effective.

1. Walk with someone. Encourage your spouse, friend, neighbor to join in the fun of walking.
2. Avoid spots which you already know that are not particularly safe. Try to walk in a route which is preferred by most walkers and where you meet many known faces.
3. Try not to follow a routine of walking in the same route at same time. Be innovative; change your course, route, time. It is more fun in walking in new route.
4. Do not carry any valuable on you; leave them at safety of your home.
5. Carry a mobile phone for emergency; keep it switched off and out of site.
6. If you walk alone always carry a whistle or small personal alarm.
7. Remember, your presence may affect others. Try to avoid that by not walking just behind or following someone, cross the street or walk past him/her. Avoid an oncoming walker by crossing the street to the other site if he/she seems to be afraid of you.
8. Walk with confidence with a look of assurance that you know where you are going.
9. Carry a walking stick; you will be less vulnerable target. If you choose to carry a weapon (say pepper-spray) learn how to operate it and strictly adhere to the laws of the area. Though personally I am against carrying a weapon.
10. Let your family, friends, neighbor know when and where are you going.
Avoid carrying a hanging purse or wallet. If you have to carry valuables at all, carry in a safe hidden place against you body.
11. Walk your dog if you have one, it will discourage unwanted interaction and other dog walkers will be friend to you.
12. Carry personal medications with you in case you need them regularly or a emergency medical kit. Keep a medical information slip with you always.
13. If you happen to encounter any undesired element or character, let your fellow walkers know about it also as well as inform police/civil authority.
14. Always be alert to pick up any danger signal. Talk to your friends and keep your eyes and ears open.
15. If you are still worried about walking as exercise then join a walking club. Form a new one, if there is none in your area, you will be surprised to see how many fellow walkers are actually thinking about it.

Walking with an animal can reduce your stress level. Take your dog out for a walk if you have one. It is fun and healthy for both of you.

Have a good and healthy walk!!

Sunday, October 22, 2006

WALKING SAFELY - I

(Traffic rule awareness)

By now you have started walking and enjoying it too. you are doing it by just stepping out of your home. If that is within city or a town roads and walkways you should make it a point to follow the traffic rules. There are few rules to follow for a safe and enjoyable walk.

I am giving below the basic golden tips for road safety

1. Stop, look, listen and think before crossing roads.
2. Cross the road at pedestrian crossing/ zebra crossing or at a location from where you will have clear view of traffic.
3. Make eye contract with drivers,
4. Wear bright colored/reflective clothing to be visible to motorists. Orange and yellow are the most visible.
5. Never take a chance while crossing busy road.
6. Stick to pedestrian walkways/pavement facing traffic whenever possible.
7. Obey all road signs/traffic signals.
8. Avoid heavy traffic/congested area.
9. Carry some personal identification in case of any accident.
10 Visit local libraries, information centers to get knowledge about local traffic rules information about walking routes, clubs and regulations on walking.

You can come up with additional points on traffic rule awareness . The rules are to be honored and followed with right earnest to make walking and driving is mutually enjoyable and fun to carry out.

Walking is a real fun and healthy if it is done in healthier way.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

BEST WALKING SHOE

Friends often ask me what the best walking shoe is. Honestly there is no single brand that can be prescribed as the best walking shoe. We all have feet which is slightly different from others. Some feet are wider, some are narrower and some have larger toes and so on. These different shapes are quite normal. While buying walking shoe you should give attention to the shape of your feet. If the shoe does not fit your feet properly it may give you problems. Shoes that are either narrow or wide can give you blisters and callouses. If the toe box is not high enough can give bunions and hammertoes.

Our feet are also classified as normal arched, high arched and low arched (or flat). Low arched feet needs a pair of shoe which gives motion control and helps stabilize your feet. High arched feet needs good cushioning. It is easy to detect if your feet is high arched or low arched. Dip your feet in water and step on a card board. Examine your foot print. If you can see most of your feet you probably have low arched feet. If you see little of it you may have high arched feet.

There are many good brands of shoes available; some relatively unknown brands may also have products to your satisfaction. So brand is not the only important criteria here. The established brands try to have products for all kinds of feet.

Many people use boots for walking as exercise. But from my experience, boots are better when walking in very uneven surfaces; say in hilly walkways or farms etc. A regular pair of walking shoe is better for walking in general conditions. I am also of the opinion that walking shoe should have laces for a better fit.

Guidelines for buying a new pair of walking shoe:

If the following points are kept in mind for selecting a pair of walking shoe your feet will be thankful.
Look for a shoe that is light weight. The upper part should be of breathable material.
The sole should be flexible with more bend towards the toe. The toe area should be tested twisting and bending as a check of flexibility.
The most important part is the fit, the pair should fit properly. You should be sure that there is enough room in the toe box for your feet. There should at least half inch gap between you toe and the end of the shoe. Should be wide enough so that your toes can move freely. Should have good support.
The shoe should not pinch or bind.
Wear those sock, you’ll be using when walking before checking the fit of the new pair of shoe.
Hook for low supportive heels that rounds in. High hill shoe does not give a proper posture/support while walking.
Go shopping for shoe at the end of the day when your feet may be slightly swollen.
Try on both the shoes, in most cases both feet are not exactly of same size.
Walk in your new shoes around the store for a few minutes, you should be comfortable right away.
Replace worn out shoes, old worn out shoes may be comfortable but they do not give enough support or shock absorption. If the out sole is worn out it is time for a new pair of shoe. (A good pair of shoe generally gives you a mileage of 300 – 500 miles.)
Remember it is worth to pay a few dollars more for the right kind of shoe.
Make an informed decision, talk with fellow walkers, sales person and visit websites you can discover many new things which you did not know before.
In case of irregular shape of feet, a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine can be of immense help.
My personal opinion is to buy from an athletic shoe store with professional fitters or at a store where you have lots of options.
After you know what features to look for in a walking shoe you can shop with confidence. A good salesperson can actually help you in getting what you exactly need.

Bottom line: The best walking shoe are those which not only gives comfort and fit but also of good design to show off.

Remember: You need to get 10,000 steps walking per day to be an effective exercise.

Start today, few steps today will turn into this magic figure of 10,000 steps within a few days. Positive thinking is the key to your success.

Friday, October 13, 2006

START WALKING

In my first blog I urge you to just start walking, but I could not imagine how hard it may be just to start. Many of my friends, whom I am trying to convince the advantages of walking at least to attend daily chores, when it is within walking distance, they simply had some points to make.

John: Why should I walk when science and technology has provided us with better options.
Mark: Though my office is within walkable distance, I need the car to do the errands.
Bony: I feel insecure to walk on sideways.
Jack: I feel tired after walking.
Ron: I circle around the parking lot to get a very proper parking space.

I am not asking you to walk long distances say cover five miles and above right away. You’ll get tired, exhausted. But start slowly with determinations. Doing errands everyday? Check for yourself, probably once in three days in most cases. You cannot park your car at the most ideal place. Park at the first empty lot, and walk a few steps more. Few days hence you would park your car at the furthest point to feel the joy of walking.

Mayo clinic has a webpage highlighting the health benefits of walking.
* Reduce your risk of heart attack.
* Manage your blood pressure.
* Reduce your risk of developing diabetes (or help you to manage an existing condition).
* Manage your weight.
* Manage stress and boost spirits.
I will give another very good reason for walking
* It does not pollute the environment.

I think we can start walking as exercise if we utilize the time in a fruitful way at least initially
1. Have a proper destination in mind, grocery shop, park, coffee-joint anything which is within walkable distance.
2. Carry a portable music player, listen to good music
3. Listen to a digitized book.
4. Enjoy the surroundings. You’ll surprise to see you did not notice many things about your neighborhood before.
5. Accompany a friend, your spouse and exchange ideas.
6. Think about yourself, your agonies and anxieties. You’ll be surprised they are all gone after the walk.
7. Plan your future projects while walking, you may get the solution or way/mean to achieve it during the walk itself.
8. Slowly feel the energy within you during your walk. It’ll surprise you. But don’t overdo it.

You’ll find more excuses to start walking as exercise if you just think about it.

Remember, don’t just think about it, start walking may be a quarter mile today – it will be comfortable three miles within days to get all the benefits of it.

Monday, October 09, 2006

WALK FOR HEALTH

Walking is probably most overlooked and neglected form of exercise because it sounds too easy. All of us have to walk in our day to day life though not as exercise but out of sheer necessity. Walk a few steps to get some water, few paces to switch on the TV and so on. But we don’t do it in the form of exercise. We may rather do jogging, aerobics, weight trainings and free hand exercises to keep ourselves fit.

Walking can be a beautiful form of exercise and it cost us nothing. This is an effective form of exercise which can be done alone if necessary. It does not fill up our apartment/ house with expensive and bulky equipments. Walking releases our tension and helps us to inhale fresh air and calm our nerves as it does not involve any training.

Process:

Our body is designed to walk; nobody is to teach us how to walk. But as exercise we should follow few guidelines

Walk for at least 45 mins everyday. Sparing 45 mins may be difficult in some cases but the bottom line is regularity.
Walk at a pace of 5 to 6 km an hour. Don’t worry if you can’t walk at this brisk pace. Walk for 10 mins as fast and slow down for rest of the walk.
Change your route every now and then to beat monotony. Focus on the surroundings walk in a route which attracts you, listen to the natural sounds.
Hold your head erect and keep your back straight. Toes point straight ahead and with loose swings of arms.
Land on your heels and roll forward to drive off the ball of the feet.
Breathe deep with mouth if necessary.
Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for walking.
Walk with a partner and exchange thought and observations.

Remember walking burns down as much calories as running for the same distances. Studies revealed that walking when done briskly on regular basis it can improve the body’s ability to consume oxygen during exertion. Lower the resting heart rate, reduce blood pressure and also increase the efficiency of the heart and lungs.

There are many unique advantages of walking as advantage

a. Walking cost you nothing. It is next to free.
b. Everybody can do it, pace and distance may vary depending on person to person.
c. Walking can be done almost everywhere, we need just to step out of our house.

Dress and shoes for walking:
A good pair of shoe is most important equipment for walking. Choose a pair of shoe which is comfortable with good arch supports for weight of your body. A scientifically designed pair of running shoe with heavy soles will fit in the purpose. Also important here is the upper material of the shoe, it should be leather or nylon meshes so that the shoe can breathe.
Rest of attire will depend on the weather. Lighter clothing than the ambient conditions is preferred as the body will generate lots of heat. But in winter use layers of clothes, so that we can shed a layer, if the heat generated by body becomes uncomfortable.

Health Risk:
In general walking causes no serious health problem. It is not as strenuous as other form of exercises provided one listens to their body. In fact many medical practitioners recommends walking for people of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases. One can always consult their physician before starting walking as exercise.

The most important is to make up our mind to walk. One should start immediately without hasitation to get the benefits of walking.

Wishes for a fitter body.