Best foot forward: walk your way to fitness - Body Talk

IT'S as simple as putting your best foot forward. Fitness walking, one of the hottest and most popular exercises, doesn't only help you shed pounds and inches, but it can also help you maintain your desired fitness level. Walking can be adapted to all seasons, and it can be done indoors on the treadmill or outdoors.

But if you make a firm and lasting commitment, walking as an exercise can help you improve your fitness level and have you feeling fabulous in no time.

Fitness specialists say that walking is a simple aerobic conditioning exercise with several physical benefits. With so many African-Americans overweight and leading sedentary lifestyles (especially children), walking--which requires little more than a decent pair of walking or running shoes--increases your heart's efficiency, lowers your blood pressure, improves your lung capacity and helps to relieve stress, research shows.

Walking is also a low-impact activity that doesn't stress your joints, knees and shins. "In general, walking is a good cardiovascular workout," says Hope Cooke, a manager and personal trainer at a Falls Church, Va., health club. "At the same time, you're toning and building muscles."

What many people don't realize is that walking strengthens and tones your leg muscles and builds arm muscles--particularly if you carry small dumbbells in each hand and use proper form.

As with any exercise program, experts recommend that you consult a doctor before starting any fitness routine. Also, Cooke says, it's important not to overlook preparations for walking. Just as with any other sport or fitness activity, it's important to warm up and stretch before walking, and stretch and cool down after your workout. Leaving out those essential steps could mean the difference between nursing an injury and continuing your program.

Many walkers tend to overdo it--especially when they first begin to exercise. Make sure that your stride is short and quick, and that your shoes offer comfort as well as support.

Once you've set your course and have become comfortable with your new regimen, it may be time to vary your routine. Consider consulting with a personal trainer, do some Internet research or find a book with walking workouts. One suggestion is to walk on an incline or on a hiking trail, which is a bit more difficult than flat city streets. In addition, if you use a treadmill, the latest models have adjustable inclines and walking speeds.

One drawback to fitness walking is the fact that it's not as active as other exercises or sports, and some may think it's too boring. One way to get around that potential stumbling block is to walk with friends, family or your significant other. Some walkers form exercise groups that meet each morning to walk together, and many shopping malls open early for "mall walkers."

You can make it a family affair. If you have a dog, take the dog for a walk so both of you can get moving. If you're the mother or father of a young child, you can burn calories by walking with a stroller.

Walking is the simplest and perhaps the most effective exercise that anyone can do. Despite what some might consider to be its boring aspects, with a little effort and ingenuity, it can be entertaining as well as life-enhancing.

Tips For WALKING IT OFF

1. Setting a brisk pace is best, research shows. You should be able to carry on a conversation, but monitor your breathing and heart rate to make sure that they have increased.

2. Walk for at least 20 minutes, 3 to 6 days a week, but start slowly and build up a faster pace with longer walks. If you're not ready to time yourself, set distance as your goal.

3. Many stores sell pedometers, which are step counters that can clip to the waistband. One health advocacy program started a national campaign to get people to walk an extra 2,000 steps each day, which translates roughly into going the extra mile.

4. Walking, when balanced with wise food choices, can really lead to a difference in your weight and shape, although the changes are gradual.

5. There are practical ways to get your walking exercise, even when you can't have a "formal" workout session. For instance, you can take the stairs instead of an elevator; go for the parking space that's farther away, rather than the one that's closest (make sure it's in a safe environment); set a brisk pace while window shopping.

6. To maximize your workout, you've got to have the right technique and walking form. Start with your posture: Keep your head up and centered between your shoulders and keep your shoulders back and down. Lift your chest and tighten your abdominal muscles.

7. You can use your arms, too. They should be bent at a 90-degree angle. Swing them back and forth, not side to side, and keep your hands loosely cupped.

8. As you begin your short, quick stride, start and control your movement from your hips rather than your thighs.

9. Pay special attention to the shoes you choose. While experts say running shoes and walking shoes both have benefits, either one should be fine for walking. The key is to try on several pairs of shoes and choose a pair that offers proper support, flexibility, cushioning and ones that can compensate for stride problems.