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By Judy Heller

Judy Heller, founder of
Wonders of Walking LLC,
advocates walking for well being and pleasure. Wonders of Walking promotes Walking Events for Walkers by Walkers. Judy Heller is founder and owner of EroFit & Associates, LLC, celebrating Fitness for a Lifetime. Heller offers personalized fitness training and coaching for individuals and groups.
Contact: Judy Heller
at 503-282-1677:
email judy@erofit.com
jheller@wondersofwalking.com

Also visit: www.erofit.com
www.wondersofwalking.com

I only went out
for a walk and
concluded to stay out until sundown,
For going out,
I found
Was really going in.

— John Muir

Cross-Training: A Matter of Mixing It Up

As the minutes of daylight increase and the rainfall lessens, we eagerly return to our physical activity of choice with abundant optimism for the coming year. For many of us that is walking. Walking provides so many physical, mental, and spiritual benefits. For most, walking provides a sense of self-confidence, a feeling of control over life, an opportunity to test and stretch personal limits, and achieve new goals. Brisk walking is now one of the fastest growing activities in the United States, with over 50% of Americans walking for exercise. We in Portland can celebrate our being the Number 1 walking city according to Prevention magazine.

Walking performance isn’t just a matter of hard training; it should also include attention to nutrition, muscular strength, mobility and flexibility, and keeping it fresh and having fun. Although walking is relatively injury free, over- use injuries can occur. Cross-training is a modern-day term that refers to the substitution of skills other than the skills directly involved in the performance of an event. It came about as a result of injury rehabilitation, and triathlon training. It is now also used in injury prevention.
Cross-training provides us with the means to increase our weekly cardiovascular training by adding other activities and reducing our potential for over-using our walking muscles and connective tissue. Incorporating cross-training into your daily training augments general strength and muscular balance. It elevates heart rates and serves to make our hearts bigger and stronger

Beginning to incorporate cross-training into your walking is easy. For example, if you regularly walk three times per week, you can substitute another cardiovascular activity for one of your workouts. Another cross-training option is to split your aerobic workout between more than one activity. Thus, if you regularly exercise for 45 minutes, perform three activities for 15 minutes each. Choose any activity you like – consider taking classes like yoga, Pilates, or an aerobic class. Use of exercise equipment such as the elliptical trainer, rowing machine, or a cross-country ski machine provides variety. Perhaps you enjoy gardening, hiking, or swimming? Spice up your walking by exploring Nordic walking.

There are multitudes of cross-training options from which to choose. All use different muscle groups than the walking motion. Multiple activities can generate added enthusiasm for exercise that promotes lifelong participation.

A balanced exercise program should also include strength and stretching exercises. Strength: We all lose muscle mass as we age unless we do something to add muscle strength. Strength training is a good cross-training activity that doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. It is a good idea to focus on chest, back, and shoulders. This can be accomplished in a gym, or with dumb bells, tubing, or elastic bands at home. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends two muscle toning sessions a week to fine-tune your overall fitness program.

Targeting large muscle groups from head to toe shouldn’t take more than 20 to 25 minutes.Stretching: Experts acknowledge a biological decrease in natural flexibility as a person ages. Researchers tell us that a decline in flexibility means a decline in stability, balance, and mobility. Follow the axiom “Move it or lose it!” Flexibility exercises should follow all walks as well as other activities. Incorporate stretching into your daily life activities. A tight muscle is an inefficient muscle. It cannot elongate and contract quickly to make a joint move or function within its full range of motion. When a muscle’s range of movement is restricted, that muscle becomes weak and prone to injury. Power is the combination of strength and flexibility. As a coach and personal trainer, I can attest to the fact that decreased flexibility is a leading cause of injury and reduced performance.

There are multitudes of cross-training options from which to choose. All use different muscle groups than the walking motion. Things happen in life. It is good to have activities to fall back on in the event of an injury, which may or may not be related to walking. When walkers sustain injuries in the legs or feet that keep them from their walking, other activities can be substituted so that the athlete can keep up her aerobic and muscular strength. If you are forced into time off from walking, you know how to add activities that maintain your general wellbeing, fitness, and energy.

Most of us choose to walk as a lifetime activity. By mixing up your fitness activities, a variety of muscle groups are now incorporated, injuries due to muscle over-use are less likely to occur. It should help keep your body healthier and your mind more alert. In other words, feeling good and having fun!