Take a Walk

By Ellie Hodder

Ellie Hodder is the
founder of Women Walk
the Marathon® in
Portland, OR and
creator of the website
www.everything4walkers.com

Why Are You Choosing Your Workout? Part One

Link to Part Two

I was chatting with a writer for a national magazine a few weeks ago about walking programs that I’ve used with my athletes over the years.

“Do you have them do hill repeats?” she asked. What an interesting question, I thought. Here is a writer that’s clearly a runner who carries the long held stereotype that walkers are “just” runners who are moving really slowly.

“Opportunity!” my brain screamed, and I calmly said, “Actually, I don’t think that in the last 20 years, I’ve ever suggested ‘hill repeats’ to any of my walkers. My first question would have to be ‘why?’” And so, I ask you, “why?” Why are you choosing the workout you are choosing? For the record, there is no wrong answer, and there is no answer that is better than any other. I ask because I think it’s important to know what it is you want to accomplish and then to tailor what you do to helping you achieve that desired outcome.

Fitness
We live in a society where most people are sedentary. You would think by looking at all the bicycles and walkers and runners that we must live in the skinniest and healthiest states in the country. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rates of obesity — one of the major causes of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and premature death — in Oregon and Washington is more than 25%. Granted, that’s not the highest rate in the nation, but it’s nothing to pat ourselves on the back about either. In fact, a mere decade ago the rate was under 20% and 20 years ago, the rates were under 15% in both states.
And, one of the most significant causes of obesity is a sedentary lifestyle. So, getting up off the couch is the number one cure for preventable illnesses and one of the best ways to improve overall health and quality of life.

Here’s How
Agree to move for 30-minutes every day. Take a walk, work in your garden, mow the lawn — put yourself in motion. Write down what you did every day that you chose to move. Buy a personal diary; write on your calendar. If you’re just starting, give yourself permission to work up to 30 minutes over several weeks. The critical part is to start and to keep on going. Remember that everyone falls off the wagon at times. The ones who will create a habit are the ones who do the hard work — they put on their walking duds, lace up their shoes, and get themselves out the doggone door.

Weight Loss and Weight Maintenance
The findings of the National Weight Control Registry say who’s been successful at long-term weight loss and daily maintenance exercise. Walking is the number one choice among the successful. The baseline is walking at least 30 minutes per day. Those with the highest success rate walk between 300-420 minutes per week.

That’s direct math. Need I say more? Okay, I will. The succesful, as a group, tend to eat breakfast daily, consume a diet high in complex carbohydrates and low in fat, weigh themselves regularly, journal, and enjoy the support of peers.

Improved Fitness
We know that increased intensity (working harder) burns more calories and will help improve your cardiovascular fitness. Working just how hard is the question.

According to the Mayo Clinic, moderate intensity exercise is best. That is, a workout at 70-85% of our maximum heart rate — the upper limit of effort for the heart. This is called the Target Heartrate Range (THR).

We figure THR this way: take the number 220 and subtract your age. Then, calculate 70% and 85% of this number. The result is the range for your heart rate during the middle of your walk (after the warm up and excluding the cool down). So, a 35-year-old would have a target heart rate range of 130 to 157.

You can also use subjective measures. Your intensity increases if you are breathing a bit harder, or if you break into a light sweat or feel a slightly increased strain on your muscles. You should always be able to talk in short sentences.

There are downsides to erring on either side of these intensity guidelines. If you always work out below the level of moderate intensity, you may not achieve your fitness or weight loss goals. If your workout intensity is consistently too hard, you risk the pain of muscle soreness, injury, or tossing in the towel altogether. Remember, there’s a difference between going out every day and pushing, and making a conscious decision to pick up the pace for a part of your walk. Listen to your body. If something is “pulling” or painful, back off. Tomorrow is a new day and a new opportunity.