WALKING FOR A HEALTHY HEART

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Feeling sluggish? Are you drained?

Then try walking.

It's more than just a way to keep your heart healthy. It's a whole new way of life. It helps you meet people. It boosts your energy. And it's fun!

That's why we hope this article will help you take control of your life and health. It encourages you to make walking a way of life. And we mean life. We've included information about:
the benefits of exercise;


starting a walking program; and


monitoring your progress once you start.



The Benefits of Walking

Walking can be an aerobic exercise that conditions your heart and lungs. It's best to walk at vigorous intensity for 30-60 minutes on most days of the week. But even moderate- intensity walking can have both short- and long-term benefits. If done daily, you can help lower your risk of heart disease.

On the other hand, physical inactivity is a risk factor for heart disease. Combined with overeating, lack of exercise may lead to high blood cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure and even diabetes, which are all risk factors for heart disease.

To lose weight, you can eat your usual amount of calories, but exercise more. For example, a 200-pound person who eats the same amount of calories but walks briskly each day for 1 1/2 miles could lose about 14 pounds in one year. Besides helping you control your weight, walking may:

help avoid cigarette smoking;


help control blood pressure; and


raise your HDL, or "good cholesterol," level.

Aerobic exercise may not prevent or cure heart disease. But it's a positive step toward a healthier life. Beside cardiovascular benefits, regular physical activity such as walking can help you:


Feel Better

Regular physical activity —

gives you more energy


improves your self-image


increases resistance to fatigue


helps you to relax and feel less tense


improves the ability to fall asleep quickly and sleep well


Look Better

Regular physical activity —

tones your muscles


burns off calories to help lose extra
pounds or helps you stay at your desirable weight


helps control your appetite


How To Get Started

When you're ready to start a regular, vigorous walking program, you may want to see your doctor first. You definitely should seek medical advice if:

Your doctor said you have a heart condition and recommended only medically supervised physical activity.


During or right after you exercise, you frequently have pains or pressure in the left or mid-chest area, left neck, shoulder or arm.


You have developed chest pain within the last month.


You tend to lose consciousness or fall over due to dizziness.


You feel extremely breathless after mild exertion.


Your doctor recommended you take medicine for your blood pressure or a heart condition.


Your doctor said you have bone or joint problems that could be made worse by the proposed physical activity.


You have a medical condition or other physical reason not mentioned here that might need special attention in an exercise program (for example, insulin-dependent diabetes).


You are middle-aged or older, have not been physically active, and plan a relatively vigorous exercise program.


If none of these conditions apply to you, you can start gradually on a program tailored to your needs. If you feel any of these physical symptoms when you start your walking program, contact your doctor right away.


Choose a Time of Day

To ensure a successful walking program, choose the best time for you. Then stick with a specific time. When do you have the most energy? Some people walk in the morning to get ready for the day. Some walk during lunch hour. Others walk toward the end of the day to relieve tension and relax.

Some people don't have a full 30-60 minutes to walk. That's okay. Recent research suggests that three 10-minute or two 15-minute periods provide about the same benefit as one 30-minute period. So try to accumulate a full 30-60 minutes by doing some combination of the following:

10 to 15-minute walk during your breaks


10 to 15-minute walk after meals


Find a Place to Walk

You should maintain your exercise program year-round. So it's best to choose a place where you can walk all the time. For outdoor walking, find a course with a smooth, soft surface that does not intersect with traffic. When weather prevents outdoor walking, walk around an indoor track at a school or recreation center. Many people are putting on their walking shoes and walking around shopping malls.

Regardless of where you walk, be sure it is well lighted.


Choose a Walking Partner

It's okay to walk alone. But if a companion will make walking more enjoyable and help you stick to your program, find someone else to walk with you. Your walking partner should be able to keep the same schedule and walk the same pace as you.


Choose Walking Attire

It's important to walk in the right kind of shoes. Choose shoes with thick, flexible soles that cushion the sole of the foot and absorb shock for the rest of the body.

If you walk outside, during the winter layer your clothing to keep out the cold and wind. The best materials are cotton, fleece-lined cotton, wool or a breathable nylon. These materials allow sweat to evaporate and keep you warm and dry. Be sure to wear warm socks, a sweatshirt with a hood or a hat, gloves and a turtle neck to keep all areas of your body covered.

In the summer, wear cotton or other porous materials that will allow sweat to evaporate. Be sure to drink plenty of water during your walk when it is hot.


The Warm Up

Warm up by walking slowly for about five minutes. After that, you can do stretching exercises. This will limber up your body and prepare it for more strenuous exercise. You can also do moderate exercises such as jumping rope.

Stretching exercises include:


Wall Push: Stand 1 1/2 feet away from a wall. Lean forward pushing against the wall with your hands, keeping your heels flat on the ground. Hold it for 10 seconds, then relax. Repeat 1-2 times.


Palm Touch: Bend your knees slightly. Try to touch the floor by bending from the waist. Don't bounce. Hold the position for 10 seconds, then repeat 1-2 times. If you have lower back problems, do the same thing, but with your legs crossed.


Toe Touch: Place your right leg on a chair or railing, making a 90-degree angle with the other leg. Keep the left leg straight and lean forward, touching the toes of the right leg. Again, do not bounce. Switch legs and do the same thing. Repeat the entire exercise 1-2 times.



The Walking Program

Set a pace for your program and don't push yourself too hard when you start. Reduce your pace if:

you are unable to speak easily in a conversational tone;


it takes longer than five minutes for your pulse to slow down after you exercise; and


you feel faint, have a hard time breathing or have prolonged weakness.
Try to do at least three exercise sessions a week. Each session should consist of a warm up for about five minutes, an exercise period 30 to 60 minutes depending on where you are in your program, and a five-minute cool down.

If you're ready to start walking, you may want to begin with the program suggested below.


Beginning Walking Program

Week Exercise (Warm up + exercise + cool down)
1 Walk briskly 5 min. 15 min.
2 Walk briskly 7 min. 17 min.
3 Walk briskly 9 min. 19 min.
4 Walk briskly 11 min. 21 min.
5 Walk briskly 13 min. 23 min.
6 Walk briskly 15 min. 25 min.
7 Walk briskly 18 min. 28 min.
8 Walk briskly 20 min. 30 min.
9 Walk briskly 23 min. 33 min.
10 Walk briskly 26 min. 36 min.
11 Walk briskly 28 min. 38 min.
12 Walk briskly 30 min. 40 min.




Calorie Use Chart

The figures below show the approximate calories per hour spent by a 75-, 100-, 150- or 200-pound person performing a particular activity.

Activity 75 lb. 100 lb. 150 lb. 200 lb.
Walking, 2 mph 125 160 240 320
Walking, 3 mph 175 210 320 420
Walking, 41/2 mph 245 295 440 590
Jogging, 51/2 mph 365 440 740 880
Jogging, 7 mph 510 610 920 1220



Determining Calorie Use

Example:
Activity: Walking (3 mph, 100-pound person)
Number of calories per hour (210) x number of hours (1/2) = (105) calories.


Walking Checklist

Visit your doctor before starting, if necessary.


Choose a place and a time to walk.


Get the proper shoes and clothes.


Always warm up before a walking session.


Cool down by walking slowly after each session.


Walk regularly, at least three times a week for 30-60 minutes.


Enjoy feeling and looking better!



More information on walking and exercise can be found in the following AHA materials:


Exercise and Your Heart


American Heart Association. The Healthy Heart Walking Book


American Heart Association. The Healthy Heart Walking Tape

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