Walk away the pounds

Retirees face a never ending battle of the bulge as our metabolisms get more sluggish and our activity levels decrease. Retirement means more time to play tennis or ski or run marathons for some lucky folks who still have healthy joints. For others whose joints have been damaged over the years by overuse or arthritis, those vigorous activities are no longer tolerated. So we have to find other ways to exercise and maintain fitness in retirement.

In an earlier post, I mentioned how my sedentary husband Mark has started a walking program in a last ditch attempt to lose some weight. He proudly announced to me yesterday that he has lost 8 pounds in the past 7 weeks! And this with very little effort in terms of dieting. Basically the only thing that has changed about his daily routine is the inclusion of a moderately paced 30-minute walk.

There is research to back this up, but somehow anecdotal reports are even more convincing! Mark is certainly a believer now.

An interesting bit of research suggests that three 10-minute mini walks are even more effective than a 30-minute walk. This has something to do with waking up your metabolism and encouraging the body to burn fat more efficiently.

Sounds simple, and indeed it is! And here is a great idea: Use walking poles to help support your body weight, decrease the stress on your joints, and improve balance and stability on uneven surfaces. Using poles makes you feel more secure, and therefore makes walking feel easier.

But here’s a very exciting finding from some new research out of the Cooper Institute in Dallas: Using poles actually boosts the number of calories burned by 40%! Your body has to recruit muscles from your core, abdominal muscles, upper body, arms and back when you use the poles. This is such an easy and inexpensive way to add more oomph to your workout! You can just use a pair of old ski poles (there are usually some lurking somewhere in your garage or your neighbor’s), or make a modest investment in a pair of poles that are specific for hiking. These are adjustable in length, which is a useful feature for hiking up a long incline – you can shorten the poles for the ascent, and lengthen them for the descent. They can also be used as a weapon to fend off unfriendly dogs!
It is always important to consult your Primary Care Physician before beginning any new exercise program to make sure it is safe for you.

Walk On!

Retirement hard on your waist line? Spending a little too much time at your computer or in front of the TV? Walk away those retirement blues! And enjoy the benefits of a regular exercise program that is easy and inexpensive, and can be performed in almost any kind of weather.

Your first and only serious investment is a good pair of walking shoes. Here in Ashland, Oregon, we are fortunate to have a great shoe store called Rogue Valley Runners. http://www.roguevalleyrunners.com Despite the name, they also are a great resource for walkers. Here’s a quote from their web site:

“Here at Rogue Valley Runners, we are committed to properly fitting each foot that walks or runs through our doors. Every employee is trained to talk with you about your specific needs, concerns, or goals ensuring you that the shoe that you are fitted for is the right shoe for your foot. We also offer a free video camera/stride analysis service at the store to help with your footwear selection.”

Don’t be afraid to spend around $100 for a good pair of shoes. They will last you at least 6 months to a year. You can also add orthotics, either the over-the-counter kind, or custom ones that a physical therapist can fabricate for you.

Your second investment might be an inexpensive pedometer. I got one for my couch potato husband a few months ago, and he loves the challenge of trying to meet or exceed his goal each week by counting those steps. If that’s the kind of motivation that gets you out there walking every day, then you can buy a pedometer at any department or discount store that has athletic equipment. I bought one at BiMart http://www.bimart.com/ for under $4.00.

Of course it’s a good idea to consult your physician or physical therapist before initiating any kind of exercise program to make sure you don’t have any medical condition or disorder of your joints or muscles that would make walking contraindicated.

One way to insure your continued participation in a walking program is to enlist a fellow walking buddy, or join a group of walkers. The Rogue Valley Mall http://www.roguevalleymall.com has a dedicated group of walkers that stride out in all kinds of weather (it’s nice to have air conditioning in the hot Medford summers as well as shelter from winter rain and snow), and enjoy a cup of coffee together afterward. It’s a great way to meet new friends, and stay in touch with old ones.

So far Mark has lost 6 pounds of holiday flab, doing very little else in terms of changing his eating and drinking habits, just by walking every day. He figures he burns approx. 100 calories in a 30-minute walk, so with everything else being equal, that would amount to almost one pound a month, or 12 pounds in a year. And Mikey the Border Collie is ecstatic to have regular walks to look forward to!