Joint Health

Did you skip a day of exercise?  Did one day turn into two and then a whole week and you are left wondering if you should go back? There are 4 things you should do right away to help achieve your goals.

1. Believe That You Can – believing that you can reach your goal is the number one determinant of success. Kevin Plank, the founder of Under Armour said it best, “The game is already won or lost by the way you approach it.” You have to believe before you can achieve. So what if you are having a tough time picturing the changes you desire? Well then it’s time to pull out the “fake it till you make it” mentality.

If it’s weight loss you are after, spend time envisioning your body smaller, shopping for new clothes (heck, buy something you like that is too tight right now and put it within your sight), fitting into an airplane seat with plenty of room to spare. Use your mind to daydream and see yourself where you want to be. Also put things within your sight that are reminders of the success you will have. See yourself kicking that winning goal.

2. Enlist the Help of Others Who Believe in You – some people want you to succeed and really believe that you can do it. Others will be envious of your success and determination. Surround yourself with a support team (personal trainer, dietitian, friends, family, coworkers) who believe that you can do it and are cheering you on the entire way!

3. Ditch the All-or-Nothing Thinking. If eating a cookie makes you feel like your weight loss efforts are falling apart, it’s time to readjust your mindset. Missing a week of working out doesn’t mean you should give up. Having a day where you completely blow your diet does not mean that you’ll gain 5 lbs back. Realize that you don’t have to be perfect all of the time to achieve your Health Goal. Forgive yourself, forget it and look forward not backward.

4. Write it Down. There is something about having a visual reminder that makes you change your behavior.  If you want to workout 3 days a week, keep a calendar up on the wall where you see it often, and write down your workouts on each day you complete one. And, do the same thing for diet – write down what you eat every day and just the act of writing it down will help you make better choices.


Also, don't forget to take your calcium supplements for good bone health and glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health.  It's important to make sure you get the right amount each day.

 

Are you achieving them or were they too hard to begin with?

We are more than a month into 2010 and many people have already given up on their New Year’s resolution to get fit and healthy.  Some have decided to put off today what they can do tomorrow. Others think they’ll hit that ready stage when their baby is potty trained, their first child is off to college or {insert life event here}.

If you are among the many people who have tossed their hopes of better health to the wayside, ask yourself why.  What has gotten in the way of putting your own health first?  Instead of making promises to yourself that you can’t keep (for me that would be something along the lines of getting up at 5 am to workout), try looking at your goals a little differently.

Focus
Think of each goal like a 10-mile trail run.  There will be twists and turns along the way, you may feel tired or sore at times, face an uphill battle, feel like quitting, have to jump over fallen trees that are blocking your path or take a detour along the way. But, if you keep your mind focused on making it through one-half mile or one mile at a time and your eyes focused on the next 15 feet at any given time (instead of the top of the hill), you’ll make it to the finish. 

We all face different life events that knock us off course from time to time. And none of us will finish that 10-mile run without a few scrapes; sweat dripping down our cheeks and our body feeling at least a little tired (or beat up and exhausted!).  To reach our goal, we must endure and realize that we aren’t perfect and a detour doesn’t mean we should give up. Get back on track and finish that run. You can walk, jog or sprint – just persevere toward the finish line.

If your painful joints are slowing you down, try taking a gluocosamine and chondroitin supplement for joint health and flexibility.  It may help you go that extra mile and help you stay on track to reach your goals.
 

Did you know that exercise increases brain health and function?

Numerous research studies have shown that moderate exercise can increase the blood flow and neural connections in the brain resulting in better memory, mental focus and clarity.  According to http://brainrules.net/exercise

Exercise improves cognition for two reasons:
• Exercise increases oxygen and glucose flow into the brain, which reduces brain-bound free radicals. One of the most interesting findings of the past few decades is that an increase in oxygen is always accompanied by an uptick in mental sharpness.

• Exercise acts directly on the molecular machinery of the brain itself. It increases neurons’ creation, survival, and resistance to damage and stress.

So now, you may be asking which exercise is the most brain enhancing?  Some researchers believe that a moderate activity like fitness walking is especially good for your brain, because it increases blood circulation to the brain without being overly strenuous. As you walk, you effectively oxygenate your brain. Maybe this is why walking seems to  "clear your head".

Studies of senior citizens who walk regularly showed significant improvement in memory skills compared to sedentary elderly people. Walking also improved their learning ability, concentration, and abstract reasoning. Stroke risk was cut by 57% in people who walked as little as 20 minutes a day. (Annals of Behavioral of Medicine, August 2001)

It’s also important to build cross-lateral exercises into your day. Cross-lateral movements are those in which arms and legs cross over from one side of the body to the other. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body, and the right side of the brain controls the left side. Both sides are forced to communicate when arms and legs cross over. This “unsticks” the brain and energizes learning.

So, if you want to take your walk even one step further in activating brain cells try the following cross hemisphere exercises as part of your pre walk warm up: 

Standing or Seated Cross Crawl:
In this contra lateral exercise, similar to walking in place, the participant alternately moves one arm and its opposite leg and the other arm and its opposite leg in a standing or seated crawl action. 

Cross Arm Squat:
Some people call this ‘brain yoga’ simply place your left hand on your right shoulder keeping your left arm closet to your chest.  Squat down, keeping your back straight. Do 10 to 12 squats, inhaling through the nose on the way down and exhaling through the mouth coming up.
 
Remember that the human brain is able to constantly adapt and rewire itself. Even as we age, it can grow new neurons. Serious mental decline is typically caused by disease, unlike most age-related memory or motor skill loss, which is mainly a result from inactivity and a lack of mental stimulation. In other words, use it or lose it!

For a list of very interesting human brain and exercise research references see: http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/references.html#exercise9


Remember, if your joints are feeling sore from exercising or just walking, be sure to take your liquid glucosamine and chondroitin supplement for joint health!

 

Walking is one of the most underrated forms of exercise.

It’s convenient, low impact (not hard on your joints), can help you manage your weight, blood pressure and blood sugar levels and, walking can decrease your risk of developing some chronic diseases. And the best part about walking?  It requires little equipment and people of all fitness levels can benefit.

Get Proper Shoes
If you want to take up walking or if you walk now, the most important equipment you’ll need is a good pair of walking or running shoes. Go to your local running shoe store (these stores tend to have employees trained in fitting you for walking, jogging and running) and get a good pair of shoes.  Read more on shoes here

Next, consider your attire. Though you don’t need special attire to walk, having comfortable workout clothes, reflective tape (if walking at night) and the necessities to walk outside in the winter (gloves, a hat, face mask if it is very cold) will make your experience both more enjoyable and safe.

Warm Up and Stretching
Always remember to warm up slowly and stretch if you need to (stretching is especially important after you are finished exercising). And, monitor your technique - your head should be held up, eyes looking forward, chin parallel to the ground, shoulders relaxed and arms bent and swinging naturally with each step. With each step, your foot should strike the ground in front of you and push off for the next step on the balls of your feet.

Once you feel very comfortable with walking, try varying your routine by walking hills, walking faster and changing your route. Also, a few simple tools will help you get the most from your workouts – a pedometer, the Wellesse walking challenge and a heart rate monitor. A pedometer will measure how many steps you get each day and a heart rate monitor can ensure that you are exercising at a good pace so you make the most of your workouts.

If you are experiencing painful joints from walking try a liquid glucosamine and chondroitin supplement for improved joint health and flexibility and for muscle and joint pain.


Have you signed up for the Wellesse Walking Challenge yet?  It's a great way to stay motivated to walk and you can win prizes too including a $500 Wellness Package!  Join today!

Stretching is a must especially if you are experiencing joint pain and for managing arthritis for better joint health.

Have you ever wondered how to get the most out of a stretch?  Well try a little self-PNF.

PNF stands for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and it simply means that our muscles receive messages from our nerves that can facilitate a better stretch reflexively.  Our muscles have sensor nerves (proprioceptive neurons) that pick up sensations like a strong contraction or a rapid bouncy movement and react by sending a message to the muscle to relax or contract in response.  When it comes to enhancing a stretch your goal is to get the muscle to relax as much as possible, thus you want to stimulate the sensor nerve with a 10 to 15 second held contraction (called and isometric contraction). 

Immediately following this contraction the muscle will reflexively respond by releasing and relaxing.  This reflex allows for an immediate gain in range of motion and extensibility.  Many physical therapists use a technique called the ‘contract/release method’ to rehab chronically tight muscles.  You can try it on your self with the help of a bath towel or stretch strap.  Lie down on your back and use the towel or strap (wrapped around your thigh) to pull your leg towards your chest.

Next press your leg away from your body into the towel, while holding the towel firmly in pace and forcing the back of the leg and hip to contract.  Hold that contraction for three deep breaths.  Release the pressing action and use the towel to pull your leg back towards your body into a deeper stretch position.  You should notice an immediate increase in range and flexibility. You can try to perform this same contract then release type stretching for various parts of your body.  Keep in mind that the contraction happens by moving and holding in the opposite direction of the stretch position. 

So for another example, if your target is your lower leg (calf muscle), stretch the muscle by wrapping a towel around the bottom of your forefoot and pulling your toes towards your shin; to contract, point your toe away from your shin while pressing into a towel, hold for 3 deep breaths, then repeat the stretch position. 

Here is a quick list of moves to stretch the major body parts:

• Chest- open arms outward and behind the body
• Upper back and neck – move head towards the opposite shoulder
• Front shoulder – open arm out or behind body 
• Rear shoulder: move arm across the chest
• Spine – round spine forward, side ways or rotate
• Buttocks – flex hip by moving the thigh forward towards torso or across the torso
• Front thigh – extend hip by moving the thigh back behind the body and bending the knee
• Rear thigh – hip flexes by moving forward towards torso and extending knee
• Low leg or calf – move forefoot towards shin

Remember to use the stretch/contract method, you need to move the body part in the opposite direction of the stretch and hold it in a static contraction for 3 deep breaths.

Try it ... to take your stretch routine to a new limit.  Stretching is a great treatment for joint pain and can help keep your joints on the move.  Be sure to take your liquid glucosamine and chondroitin supplement too for improved joint health and flexibility.

– to a more active and healthy lifestyle - Part 1


Often the first step is the hardest when it comes to embarking on a new fitness program.  In 2007, only about 31 percent of Americans age 18 or older reported regular leisure-time physical activity (http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=742).
 
National data also indicate that even fewer older persons engage in regular physical activity (http://www.ahrq.gov/ppip/activity.htm). This leaves a huge percentage of our national population falling into the sedentary category resulting in a rise in both adult and childhood obesity.  It goes without saying that we need to find a way to motivate the masses to get moving!

I have friends tell me all the time that they don’t have the ‘time’ or ‘energy’ to get fit.  Yet, they will spend endless hours on the computer, watching television or chatting on the phone.  If only they would set aside 30 minutes for moderate cardio exercise, most days of the week.  This will allow them to meet the Surgeon General Activity Guidelines and reap numerous physiological and psychological benefits of exercise.  These benefits include a reduction in life threatening diseases (heart disease, cancer, and diabetes just to name a few). 

It also is a prime weapon in our battle with the bulge and secondary related conditions such as joint degeneration, high blood pressure and chronic fatigue.  It is no wonder that exercise can also reduce stress and depression and improves joint health...wouldn’t you feel a lot better just knowing you were doing something that good for your body? 

Don't wait any longer - start today!
 

Stay in shape and stay cool all summer...

Try an Air-conditioned gym
Believe it or not the workout room at your local gym is probably one of the coolest places in town during a hot summer day.  Most gyms accommodate the hot weather by pumping up the air-cooling system during the summer months.  Thus, even though you may feel like exercise is the last thing you want to do on a hot day, your gym may provide a welcome relief in the form of cool workout environments. 

Get in the pool!
If you want to take it outdoors try one of those Aqua workouts. There’s nothing like a hot summer day to try something new in the pool.  You can keep it simple and just do laps, or join a deep or shallow water group class.   You will want to swim for 20 plus minutes if you are trying to accomplish your cardio goal. 

Deep-water workouts are done with the aid of a floating device such as an aqua belt, ankle cuffs or a foam noodle.  You will need these devices to allow you to tread water in a vertical position.  Shallow water workouts don’t typically need this because you are standing on the bottom of the pool with the water somewhere around nipple height.  If you are on your own try this great shallow water combo:

1. Jump out into a squat position with your legs about shoulder width apart then spring back off the pool floor to a close leg position (kind of like a jumping jack).  At the same time as you jump-out, push your lower arms up bending the elbows (like a bicep curl) and then as you bring the legs back push the lower arms downward (keep the elbows to the side of your body as you do the arm move).  Repeat 20 times
2. Next stand on one leg as you swing the opposite leg forward and back.  Arms move together and apart in opposition to the leg move.  So when the leg moves front the arms go apart (moving back) and visa versa.  Remember to tighten up your core muscles as you do this.  Repeat 20 times and then switch sides.
3. Feel free to perform 2 to 3 sets of the entire routine.

The same routine can be performed in the deep water with the aid of a floatation device but the squat will be more of a swish than a spring.


Exercise outdoors early
If you doing any kind of exercise or other strenuous activity outdoors, try to do them early in the morning before it heats up.  Exercising in the morning can give you more energy all day long.  Plus, by getting it out of the way first thing in your day, you are less likely to forgo exercising because something else comes up.   
  
Either way don’t forget to stay properly hydrated and supplemented with a calcium and vitamin D combo for bone and joint health.

 

Don’t let joint pain keep you from springing forward in life.

One great thing about spring is the weather.  Warmer weather can make life a lot easier on arthritic joints.  If you have arthritis (in particular the wear and tear related osteoarthritis) you will undoubtedly feel more like moving once your body and joint tissues have warmed up. 

So lets discuss a spring forward warm up plan that can reduce the twinges from your hinges during a workout. Your spring forward warm up for joint health includes
1) environmental, 2) temporal and 3) physical tips
  
1. Your joints will feel better when working out in warmer environments.  This can be accomplished by staying indoors or keeping the cooling system low, or by wearing workout gear that keeps your body well insulated (i.e. sweats and wraps).  You can also enhance your body temperature pre-activity by taking a hot shower or sitting in a Jacuzzi.

2. In terms of the best time to exercise, your joints will feel best around midday.  This will give your body a chance to naturally loosen up and warm up with your daily routine without feeling overtaxed by a full day of life tasks. 

3. Last but not least are some physical tips that can help prepare sensitive joints for various types of physical exercise. 
 
In terms of your cardio-vascular exercise, be sure to start off slowly with modest range of motion.  Gradually increase your movement range in both your upper body and lower body movements until you are working at near full range capacity.  This could take a good 10 to 15 minutes.  So for example, start your fitness walk with small steps and minimal arm swinging, as you warm up and loosen up try rolling the shoulders up, back and down while you walk.  Also add in some ball and heel walking.  By this I mean, walk on the balls of your fee for about 10 seconds followed by walking on your heels for 10 seconds.  Go back to a normal footfall and gently reach a bit further with each step.  Once you feel your overall body temperature has elevated (usually noted by a desire to take off your outer jacket) you can stop and hold a few hip and leg stretches, if those areas still feel restricted.  Keep those stretches light (8 to 10 seconds in length).  Then continue with your walk, using the best arm swing and leg stride that you can.  

Your muscle-conditioning workout should follow a similar warm up plan of action.  When performing strength training exercises always do the first set of any exercise with limited range and very light resistance.  Then for the second set you can gradually increase the range and/or resistance.  Keep in mind that strength training is important but so is joint sense.  Use resistance loads that you can safely handle for about 15 repetitions even if that means no resistance other than the weight of your body or body part. 

All stretches should start off light, never force or bounce. Once your muscles are warm they have better give therefore you get the best results from your stretches after you have completed more active exercises (i.e. walking or strength exercises).  These stretches should be held to a point of slight or mild discomfort for 10 to 30 seconds.

Progress slowly and always stay in the pain free range of motion.  If your joints are experiencing more pain or discomfort than typical two hours after a workout is over, you have probably worked too hard.  Back off a bit and don’t forget to take your joint healthy glucosamine and chondroitin supplements.     
 

Time for a bit of Arthritis Spring-Stretching.

The warmer weather creates a positive environment for many things, in particular joint mobility.  With that in mind it may be a great time for arthritis sufferers to re-evaluate their training program and get back on track with a few daily joint healthy exercises.  Daily stretching has been recommended in particular for those with compromised joints as a treatment for joint pain.  The Aerobic and Fitness Association of American lists flexibility as one of the first fitness components to be addressed when designing a functional fitness program for those with arthritic conditions  http://www.afaa.com .

The reason why is pretty simple.  If you can’t move with good range of motion it is pretty hard to do any exercise or daily activity with proper form and alignment.  Exercising with pore alignment is a major cause of joint stress and further joint damage, thus it is important to keep joints as mobile as possible, even when limitations exist.  Below are a few stretching guidelines to follow.
 

• Always increase your body core temperature prior to holding stretch position: performing a physical warm up including light cardio-vascular or rhythmic movement can do this.  A physical warm up can be enhanced by taking a hot shower or bath prior to your session, scheduling your session toward the later and/or warmer part of the day, performing your stretches in a warm environment and/or while wearing clothing that keeps the body well insulated.

•  Ease into your stretch positions: start at a point of very mild tension, take two or three deep breaths, then try to move into a deeper stretch position, increasing the stretching sensation to a higher degree of tension (or slight discomfort).

• Never stretch to the point of pain or high discomfort: your muscles will actually reject the stretch and try to protect themselves by tensing up.

• Breath fluidly throughout all your stretches: at least 5 deep breaths per stretch.

• Repeat each stretch 2 to 3 times over.

The following includes an upper and lower body stretch series that should be done at least once every day:

The Upper Body wall Stretch:

Stand facing a wall and gently position your hands a comfortable distance above your head. Work your arms up the wall, keep your abdominals tight and lean your torso towards the wall.  Next, turn around and place your backside to the wall with your arms in a ‘T’ position (elbows bent and upper arm parallel to the floor).  Try to press your head, spine and arms against the wall.  Hold both the front and back position for 3 to 5 deep breaths.

The Lower Body chair stretch: 

Start by standing behind a sturdy chair in a lunge position.  Gently work the back leg further away from the front leg until you feel a stretch down the hip, and then press the heel towards the floor until you feel a stretch in your lower leg/ calf muscle.  Follow this up by straightening the front leg and leaning forward with your torso until you feel a stretch down the back of the front leg (keep your spine straight as you lean forward).  Switch leg positions and repeat the series

In my next article I will give you some great ideas for following up your stretch session with bone and joint health strength routines... until next time keep taking your joint protective supplements with glucosamine and chondroitin and MSM. 

If you want to lose weight and dread going to a group class or buying pre-packaged foods that taste like cardboard, consider changing your habits for long-term weight loss success.  Here are the top tips you’ll need to follow to ensure that you get those pounds off for good:

1. Change your mindset.  “D” is for diet or deprivation.  You don’t need to diet, you just need to start eating a healthier diet.  Think about all of the healthy foods you love and start looking for ways to incorporate them into your diet.

2. Give yourself a little slack. We all slip up from time to time.  Maybe we made a wrong turn on the road and ended up going way out of our way.  Or, maybe we forgot a loved one’s birthday.  Get over it and get over your dietary or exercise mishaps.  A cookie is just a cookie, let it go, move on and forge forward.

3. Eat several small meals a day.  This will ensure you keep your energy levels high, metabolism cranking and you won’t be as likely to binge eat.

4. Plan ahead and bring food with you.

5. Eat at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal.

6. Make small changes versus cutting out certain food groups or foods.

7. Eat good quality protein at every meal and snack.  To prevent a carbo-overload, eat protein with every meal or snack.  Craving crackers or bread?  Make that bread into a grilled cheese sandwich or top those crackers with some cheese or peanut butter.  Protein will keep you full longer and help minimize wild blood sugar surges.

8.  Take calcium and vitamin d supplements.  New studies have shown more weight loss for those who are not deficient in calcium or vitamin D.  Also, vitamin D has been linked to heart health during weight loss.  Both are very important for bone and joint health needed for a continuous exercise program. 
 

Heart Health Month is over, but spring is a good time to start a heart healthy exercise program.

It seems to me that younger people are motivated to exercise so they look good and feel good.  Some older Americans also exercise for the same reasons but there is another set of people that are prescribed exercise.  That’s right, physicians don’t just prescribe medicine.  They also prescribe exercise, meditation and yoga for people who have cardiovascular disease.  Even those who have had heart attacks and bypass surgery start exercising soon after they recover.  And their exercise prescription progresses, as they get stronger.

According to joint guidelines between the American Heart Association and American College of Sports Medicine, all healthy adults 18-65 years of age should be getting at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity at least 5 days a week or vigorous physical activity for 20 minutes 3 days per week.  Those who are 65 years of age or older or have limitations to physical activity should still engage in physical activity as well.

It's vital to your heart health!
Exercise helps strengthen your heart and it can help prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, sarcopenia and obesity.  In addition to exercising, you can also benefit from increasing your activities of daily living.  You can do this by walking more (strap on a pedometer to keep track), working on your house, cleaning your car, raking your leaves vs. blowing them, taking the stairs instead of the elevator and walking around the airport vs. taking the people movers.

Regardless of what your favorite exercise is - spin class at the gym or walking your dog, just make sure you get out there and do something.  And take comfort in the fact that every step you take will help your heart!

Exercise is also an important step for managing arthritis for overall joint health and for bone health and osteoporosis.  The more you keep moving, the better your body will feel.  Make this spring a jump start to a healthier you!


 

Even if you don’t have seasonal affective disorder, you may be feeling a little cooped up and blah this season.  It’s chilly outside, the sky is gray and there are no festivals, open-air markets and fairs this time of year.  I can empathize.  My skin is dry thanks to the indoor heat and yet my face is also wind burned from the time I spend running from my car to my destination.  Most people countdown to the holidays or their days off of work, I’m counting the days to warmer weather.

Until April rolls around though I know I need to keep my spirits up and my days busy so I don’t spend all of my time day dreaming about living on a beautiful island somewhere.  To beat the winter blahs and for joint health, I exercise in the gym (even if I have a day where I’m not motivated, the people there motivate me), make sure I go out and socialize with others (regardless of how cold it is outside), eat a healthy diet and take my liquid vitamin D3 nutritional supplement.  Until I can feel the sun shining on my skin and lightening my mood I am definitely going to do what I can to enjoy the cold days ahead.

Lose a pound, gain a pound, get in shape for summer, get out of shape during the holiday rush... life seems to be full of ups and downs when it comes to health and fitness, which is why the ‘New Year’ is known for making ‘New You’ resolutions.  Have you ever felt that the best New Years resolution is not to make another resolution?  Well, before you give up on a good idea lets look at what makes a fitness resolution really work and how to stick with it long enough to see lasting results.

Keeping Your New Year’s Resolution

A New Years resolution is nothing more than a calendar-based personal goal, which means you need to approach it with some classic goal setting strategies...  In summary that includes selecting a goal that is meaningful, measurable and manageable (see previous article on setting fitness goals).  Beyond this it comes down to a bit of self-psychology, most importantly the ‘law of self control’.  It is widely accepted by psychologists, that the more in control we are of our thoughts, attitudes and actions the better we feel about ourselves.  

This involves an ‘internal locus of control’, or sense that we are making the right decisions for ourselves based on our personal desires and beliefs.  Verses an ‘external locus of control’, where we feel as though someone else is controlling our lives and directing our life decisions (Rotter, J.B. (1954). Social learning and clinical psychology. New York: Prentice-Hall). 

Choose Realistic Goals

By choosing a fitness resolution that ‘you’ feel good about and ‘in control’ of, you are on the way to making a positive change in not only your body but also your way of thinking. Adherence to your fitness resolution will create and reinforce your feeling of power over your life.  This leads to positive self-esteem and better end results.  These feelings are the glue that can keep you motivated to reach any goal related to of a healthier, happier lifestyle.  Once you can internalize your New Years resolution by linking it to motivations that come from within (e.g. feeling good, being your best and finding pleasure in the process), you will never have to worry about breaking it again!   

Try a few of the following self-control tips when approaching this year's Fitness Resolution:

1. Meditate on it: take time to think about what you want everyday and see yourself having it.
2. Write it down: put your resolution in writing and leave reminder notes in places you will see on a regular basis (e.g. your refrigerator or computer desk).
3. Stay positive: attitude can make or break your plan so keep your thoughts positive and expect some backsliding (e.g. a vacation or food filled party).  See these slips as temporary detours and get right back on your positive path.

While you are at it don’t forget to take in plenty of liquid nutritional supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin, liquid calcium and vitamin D for joint health and to keep your joints and bones happy while you work!  If you need a quick boost of energy, try the 2 oz energy supplement. 

Happy Holidays to all from myself and my fellow bloggers, Marie Spano and Kathy Stevens.  It is Christmas Eve and very snowy here in Bellingham, WA so it looks like we will be having a white Christmas.  Not something we have here very often, so it is nice except for the bad roads while everyone is trying to travel.

Thank you to all our blog readers!  We have really enjoyed bringing you the latest news and information about health and wellness and will continue in the New Year.

With all the renewed interest in health and nutritional supplements such as Vitamin D, 2009 should be a great year for additional studies and research. 

Also, don't forget to enter or re-enter the View, Vote, and Win contest and vote on your favorite video.  The contest ends January 3rd, 2009 and the winners will be announced then for both the one year supply of energy and the Video Contest.  Stay tuned!

Stay healthy and well this holiday and into 2009.  Make health and fitness a priority for yourself and your family and it will really make a positive difference in your life.  Start with small steps such as walking and taking at least a vitamin D supplement.  Then add on more later such as nutritional foods, adding calcium supplements or glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health and fitness walking.  Each one is an important step to a healthy lifestyle.

Speed Walking

Another great way to add a bit of spice to your walk program is with speed play.  Some times called interval or Fartlek training, it is the best way to rev up your walk and train towards faster race time. 

The difference between this type of training and your continuous walk training is that the intensity and speed of the exercise varies, to train both the aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic systems (without oxygen).  Simply put, the aerobic system is the system your body uses to perform continuous activities like walking, swimming and bike riding.  Your respiration and pulse rate increase, but you can handle it and keep going for 20 or more minutes.


The anaerobic system is used for high intensity activities like sprinting and jumping, that cause you to become winded and fatigued, forcing you to stop within a 30 to 90 seconds. 

By training both of these systems you will become more fit and able to walk at faster, harder paces.  The easiest way to implement this into your existing walk routine is to perform timed bouts of fast walking followed by slow, recovery walking.  This can be accomplished using the walking techniques described in the previous walking pace articles. 

Start with a warm up walk lasting between 10 and 15 minutes and then pick up your pace to a 30 to 60 second speed walk, followed by 1 to 3 minutes of leisurely paced, health walking.  Once you feel that you have adequately recovered you can go back to a moderate fitness paced walk.  Every time you do a 30 to 60 second speed pace, follow it up with a 1 to 2 minute recovery pace.   Start with two or three of these bouts equally disbursed within your walk, then add in another every few weeks as desired.

The ratio is the time difference between the fast, work pace and the slow, recovery pace.  Typically you begin with a 1 to 3 ratio.  That means the recovery pace is 3 times the length of the work pace.  For example:

30 seconds fast – 1.5 minutes slow (1 to 3 ratio)
or,  1 minute fast – 3 minutes slow  (1 to 3 ratio)

As you get in better condition for intervals you can reduce the ratio to 1 to 2

30 seconds fast – 1 minute slow (1 to 2 ratio)
Or, 1 minute fast – 2 minutes slow (1 to 2 ratio)

It can be a lot of fun trying different ratios. Soon you’ll be cruising down the road with greater speed and energy.  But don’t overdue it... interval training is quite intense so limit these types of training sessions to no more than a few times per week.

Many of the abilities and improvements you will be working on in this three part series go hand and hand because of the cross over between strength, power and speed... so feel free to use a variety of these suggested programs during your week, month and/or year...

Remember, walking is essential for joint health and for managing arthritis and managing osteoporosis.  Try these walking programs and you might walk in the next race!

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Building a Better Walk Program

Who wouldn’t like to make the most out of every walking workout? As a continuation on my recent series on walking, in this post I would like to talk about the power walk. 

A simple way to increase your walking power and output is to increase the dynamics of your arm swing.  Create a fist with your thumbs resting on your knuckles and bend your elbows to right angles.  Pump your arms forward and back with your fist moving from sternum to hip in an alternating fashion.  As you pump your arms think about driving your elbows down and back right along side of your torso. Keep your arms moving in a straight line; don’t let them swing side to side or cross the body. To progress further try-adding resistance in the form of hand held weights, body vests, or walking poles.  All of these options will help you burn more calories while using them while also increasing your ability to perform a more powerful walk when you walk without them.  

Start off using the lightest increments of weight.  Restrict the time you spend using the added resistance.  Start with 5 or 10 minutes and then gradually build up to your regular workout time.  If you plan to increase your resistance, do so in small increments every 4 to 8 weeks. The maximum recommendation for hand held weights is 3 pounds and the maximum for weighted vest is 30 pounds.  Note: Controversy exists over the use of hand held weights due to the stress to the shoulder joint.  Please check with your doctor first. 

• Active arm swing output increase
  - Using arm swing = 10% increase (approximately .5 cal. per min.)   (Elbow bent to right angle, fist pumps from sternum to hip)

• Hand weights output increase (with active arm swing)
- 1 pound = 10% (approximately .5 cal. per min.)
- 2 pounds = 20% increase (approximately 1 cal. per min.)
- 3 pounds = 30% increase (approximately 1.5 cal. per min.)

• Weighted vest output increase
- 10 pounds = 10% increase (approximately .5 cal. per min.)
- 20 pounds = 20% increase (approximately 1 cal. per min.)
- 30 pounds = 30% increase (approximately 1.5 cal. per min.)
- Vest should not exceed 20% of ones total body weight (i.e. 130 pound person should go no higher than 25 lbs.)

• Walking poles:
- Using poles = 20+% increase (approximately 1.5 kcal per min.)

As you know, walking is good for increasing energy levels, managing arthritis and joint health.  Increasing or alternating your walking workout is a way to get the most out of your workout.

*Keep in mind that good posture, controlled arm swing and proper overall walking form (see article on walking form) must be maintained during the use of any added resistance device. If the use of added resistance causes, neck, shoulder pain or low back pain discontinue immediately.