Walk
Write

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

Winter Training

November and December are filled with gatherings of family and friends, shorter daylight hours, inclement weather, and holidays. The summer relays are over, the time for marathons is past, and the seasons are changing. Adopting a fitness routine is key to staying healthy. Walking is a very accessible form of physical activity offering incredible health and fitness benefits. Are you among those who are quite willing to walk in the spring and summer, but tend to hibernate in late fall and winter?

Irish novelist Edna O’Brien wrote, “In a way, winter is the real spring, the time when the inner things happen, the resurge of nature.” How can you, as a walker, “taste the fruit” of the upcoming winter months and nourish yourself for next year’s success?

What can you do in this gray and wet Oregon winter to strengthen yourself, to maintain your motivation, and emerge in spring as a better, stronger, healthier, and happier walker?

Look to “mother nature” to provide some clues. Winter is a time of sparseness, of economy. This is a time when plants and grasses are working underground. Winter gives us the opportunity to re-group, re-focus and use our heads — the chance to go “underground” to improve our walking, fitness, and health.

Make your fitness resolutions for 2009 before the holidays. Take stock of your progress over the last year. Did you have a goal? A goal is an aim or purpose with a timeline. Did you meet your goals? If not, what kept you from achieving them? If you didn’t set goals last year, now is the time to write them out for next year. Goal setting for your walking program is one of the best ways to motivate yourself to maintain your walking.

When walking for the health of it, know your numbers for blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, measurements, etc. Monitoring your improvements is great motivation to keep moving.

When you want to avoid the wet or icy outdoors, then head indoors to do your training. Late fall and winter are a perfect time to allow walking muscles and connective tissue to recover and create muscular balance by exploring other activities and equipment. You may be surprised how you can revive your walking by participating in cross training activities. Your choices for aerobic activities are limitless.
Exercise cycles: The stationary exercise cycle remains one of the most popular pieces of exercise equipment in the United States.

Two basic styles of exercise cycles exist — upright and recumbent. Upright cycles most closely resemble traditional outdoor bicycles. Recumbent models, on the other hand, allow individuals to sit in wide, comfortable bucket-style seats with their feet out in front of them, placing less strain on the back, neck, and shoulders.

For walkers wanting to increase leg turnover, an exercise cycle may help increase the firing of fast twitch muscle fibers. Spin greater than 100 rpm, with little or no resistance.

Treadmills: Perhaps the most popular piece of indoor exercise equipment is the treadmill. The advantages to exercising on a treadmill include no high-impact force, no uneven surfaces, no wind, rain, or ice, and no exhaust fumes.
Treadmills are great for improving walking form. Place a mirror in front and to the side of the treadmill, if possible. Observe body alignment (walking tall), position of head (level and balanced), shoulders (relaxed or hunching), range of motion of arms (swinging freely from shoulders), foot placement and alignment (toes pointed straight ahead, landing on heel, coming off toe).

Elliptical cross trainers: The advantages of these popular machines are running, walking, or stair climbing motion, with no impact to the joints.
As most walkers have strong hamstrings (back of the thigh). Ellipticals will work the quadriceps (front of the thigh) and gluteus (buttock) muscles.

Ski machine: A ski machine will use many of the same muscles as walking but in a different modality. The Nordic Track is my personal favorite for endurance work in the winter.

Stair stepper: Another popular method of exercising is mechanical stair climbing. Basically, two broad types of stair climbing machines have been developed. One involves a revolving staircase, where an exerciser must climb at a pre-selected stepping rate; the other features two steps on which the user stands and exercises. Be cautious if you have any knee issues.

Rowing machine: Rowing machines use both upper and lower body, providing a whole body workout. Proper technique is very important to avoid lower back strain.
Muscular strength and endurance: This important part of your fitness routine should not be omitted. Studies show that aerobic and muscular fitness both contribute to health, as well as sports performance. Additionally, muscular fitness is a deterrent to low back problems, is a good way to avoid osteoporosis, and helps maintain muscle to burn fat and to sustain mobility. Fall and winter months are the time to proceed indoors with a resistance training program. For this, your choices are resistance bands or tubing, free weights, or machines.

Classes: Breathing, relaxation, yoga — the list goes on.

The power of choice: Walking performance isn’t just a matter of hard training; it should also include attention to breathing, nutrition, muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility. Take advantage of the inclement weather, take your training indoors, strive for balance, and have fun!