Just Try Walking!

Turn this Old-Fashioned Exercise into an Optimal Workout! According to the American Chiropractic Association and the Michigan Chiropractic Society, walking accomplishes all of the following and more:

• Improves cardiovascular endurance
• Tones muscles of the lower body
• Burns calories: About 80 calories walking two miles per hour, and about 107 calories walking four and half miles per hour
• Reduces risk of heart disease

No Equipment Needed!

Fortunately, you do not need to sign up for an expensive gym membership to go walking. Except for a good pair of shoes, walking requires virtually no equipment.

The following tips will help you when selecting a pair of walking shoes:

• Make sure the shoes you purchase fit properly. The balls of your feet should rest exactly at the point where the top end of the shoe bends during walking.
• Avoid high-top shoes. They often cover your entire ankle, limiting your foot’s ability to move freely and naturally. Opt instead for shoes that offer your ankle a fuller range of motion.

While some fitness enthusiasts relentlessly seek out the latest, trendiest exercise crazes, many others are returning to good, old-fashioned walking to help them feel great and get into shape. Whether enjoying the wonders of nature or the company of a friend, walking can be a healthy, invigorating experience. And, thanks to its convenience and simplicity, walking just might be right for you too! Select shoes with plenty of cushioning in the soles to absorb the impact of your walking.

Super Health Benefits!

Walking just 12 minutes every other day can offer important health benefits. Walking 20 minutes every other day is even better. But, in order to increase your longevity, try to work up to 30 minutes, five days per week. Consider the following tips to help you get started safely and smoothly.

• Move your arms freely, in coordination with the opposite leg.
• Don’t carry weights or dumbbells while walking.
• Expect a little soreness in the thighs and calves for the first week or two. If you experience more than soreness, check with your doctor of chiropractic.
• Walk briskly. Simply sauntering, while relaxing and enjoyable, is not an effective form of cardiovascular exercise.
• If possible, walk on a cushioned or rubberized track. The cushioning of this type of track absorbs most of the impact of your walking. Many recreation centers offer this type of track free of charge.

Keep in mind that if you have not previously been physically active, you should consult your doctor of chiropractic before beginning an exercise program. Begin slowly with a walk of perhaps half a mile at a pace that does not cause discomfort. Continue this for about two weeks, then start to increase the pace and length of time walking. Eventually, depending on your age you can build your target heart rate/pulse to either 120 beats per minute, or, if younger, as many as 140 beats per minute. For the average adult, a heart rate of 120 beats per minute would require walking at about two miles per hour, while a heart rate of 140 beats per minute would require a pace of four and a half miles per hour.

While you may experience pain or injury in a particular area; such as a knee or a hip, the root of the problem may lie somewhere else. Injuries of this nature are not regional, or isolated, but systemic. A problem in the foot or ankle can create an imbalance in every step, leading to discomfort or injury that moves to the knees, hips, low back or elsewhere. If you suffer from pain beyond typical muscle soreness, your doctor of chiropractic can diagnose and treat your pain or injury and get you back into the swing of your walking routine.

Drink Fluids!

Be sure to drink 10 eight-ounce glasses of water a day to help keep the kidneys active, dilute and remove toxins from the body, and replace lost fluids. (Coffee, tea, soft drinks and alcohol are diuretics/dehydrators. Don’t substitute them for water.) If you perspire during walking, you may need to drink even more.

A Few Words About Asthma

A recent study in Today’s Chiropractic gives some insight into the use of chiropractic in combating asthma. Forty seven patients were observed for a two-year period. They had been medically diagnosed with persistent asthma ranging from mild (11 cases), moderate (28 cases), to severe (8 cases). The care consisted of specific chiropractic adjustments, and the range of visits was 14 to 44, with the average being 26 during the study period. All 47 of the study patients showed a marked improvement ranging from 87 to 100 percent. Their symptoms improved, and they decreased their usage of acute asthma attack medication. Even more impressive was the fact that all of the patients in the study reported maintaining their improvement after a two-year follow up.

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