Heart Month & Fitness Walking After 50
Greetings < Happy Heart Month To You Yes February is in fact 'Heart Month'. Time to focus on a 'Healthy Heart'. In fact, given the high profile of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics this month too, why not start (or continue) your own personal heart health Olympics - Winter & Summer. (Sorry - we couldn't resist a proud little plug for the Winter Games being held in our home country and in the home city of many family members. Luv Yah Vancouver! Cardiovascular Disease and Fitness According to the American Heart Association, you should include a minimum of 30 to 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, three to four days a week. Regular exercise keeps your body in healthy condition, and a healthy body can ward off disease much better than an unhealthy one. Aerobic Exercise The word aerobic means "with oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic or energy-generating process. (Wikipedia). Aerobic exercises include walking, running, biking, swimming etc. - exercises that help make your heart rate increase for an extended period of time. When your heart rate increases, more blood is circulated through your body, providing necessary oxygen to your cells and tissues. Regular aerobic exercise is very important for maintaining heart health. Anaerobic Exercise It is wise to include some anaerobic exercise too. This can include short-lived bursts such as more rapid walking and weight lifting. Whereas aerobic exercise is best for cardiovascular strength and endurance, anaerobic exercise is best for muscle strength and flexibility. This will help you maintain your health and avoid injury. You can also learn more about this at Wilkipedia too! Heart Health Some important benefits of a regular exercise routine. 1. Improve cardiovascular efficiency. 2. Develope strength and endurance. 3. Increase your energy levels and metabolism. 4. Relieve stress and tension. 5. Increase your range of motion and flexibility. (Please visit our Benefits of Walking page for more complete information) Cardiovascular Disease and Fitness - Some Tips to Follow 1. Before you start any exercise program, consult your physician to make sure you don't have any health problems that might prevent you from safely performing certain exercises. 2. Set aside time each week to exercise, and make sure you are consistent. Try to walk at least 30 minutes 3-4 times per week. 3. Start slow! Don't rush into a walking program. Rather, take your time and ease into it, increasing your time and intensity gradually as you go along. You will see much better results like this, rather than going overboard with it. 4. Make sure you stretch before and after walking. It is important that you warm up before you begin any activity, and cool down once you are finished. We recommend 5-10 minutes of warming up before you begin, and at least another 5 minutes of cooling down post workout or walking. 5. Keep water with you at all times, make sure you are hydrated throughout your workout. 6. Maintain a steady workout regimen. Also, make sure you maintain a heart healthy diet and include important heart nutrients to improve and maintain your heart health. Your Questions - A New Feature This month we are adding a new feature we hope you find of value. Folks write to us with some very interesting questions through our Contact Us page. Often folks don't feel they want to tell a story on our Walking and Hiking Stories page just yet. So to start things off let's start with a question from Ewatt. He writes: I recently signed up for your newsletter, and I am really enjoying your articles. I am a male 62 weighing 165 lbs, and who is in pretty good shape. I have been walking on and off for about two years, and my lack of motivation always got in the way of walking on a continuous basis. At the beginning of the year, I bought a wireless pedometer from LifeSource, and I must tell you and your readers, it has provided me with the motivation I always needed. I have now become a walking addict, and instead of walking 30 or 60 minutes, somedays I walk for 90 minutes. I walk five days a week. My question is "Is it possible for me to walk too much? and my other question is "What should I be eating after my walking?" Looking forward to hearing from you. Dear Ewatt First thank you so much for taking the time to write us. We are always happy to hear from our readers and even happier to answer your questions as best we can. To your first question "..is it possible to walk too much?". Our 'non medical' answer is pretty simple. Listen to your body! It will tell you when things are not right! You should not be feeling pain or aching in the joints - especially if you 'qualify' for visiting a website for folks over 50 :-) Most importantly though do you feel right? If not our best advice as always is to visit your doctor. Even if you do, visit him or her anyway. Let the experts help you. And your second question … "what should I eat after my walking"? Again, our site and our focus is not on this aspect so we suggest you can visit our friend Cari at Ditch Diets, Live Light. This is more general information on dieting. There are just too many differing views on the exact question you asked. Again what feels right for you? What we do is simple - very little for the first little while other than to drink plenty of fluids. After that just use common sense blended with the healthy diet you're following anyway! Right? Or if you allow us to be a bit waggish, if you sit down and eat a bunch after your walk - do you feel guilty or good about yourself? Until next month - Happy Walking! Your Turn Write and share with us some of obstacles that you've had to overcome to get back to a more healthy lifestyle. We all have obstacles at some time or another. You might have a solution that may help others overcome problems that they may find difficulties with. Help someone this month. Next month you may be the one seeking help. Let's enjoy 2010 and Heart Month by caring and sharing with one another!
Yoko and Geoff
PPPS - Remember that we welcome your walking stories, hiking tales and tall tales too! Share yours with us, be published on your very own web page and maybe even win some neat prizes! PPS - Feel free to pass a copy of this newsletter on to your friends, They might enjoy it too! |
