Do You Want to Be Healthy? Then Get to Steppin!

Dr. John
Rumberger

Improving the body's ability to process and deliver oxygen may improve

stamina, not only in sports but also in every day life, doing any activity. To reach this goal,

you need to strengthen and condition your heart because it is the organ that pumps oxygen-rich

blood to the rest of your body. Like any muscle, the heart can grow stronger and more efficient

by progressive demands in oxygen.
The aim is to develop bigger and stronger muscle units so

that you can transport oxygen throughout the body with less effort and use more stored fat as

energy. Increased oxygen consumption promotes overall health and increases metabolism resulting

in burning extra fat stores. However, a mild activity can often just do the trick; it is not

necessary to work up a heavy sweat.
Recent research results could hardly be clearer, when the

subject of walking is brought up in the realm of exercise. Taking a walk is one of the best ways

to take charge of your health. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed

that walking briskly for half an hour just six times a month cut the risk of premature death in

men and women by 44 percent. Another study in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that

men 61 to 81 years old sharply reduced their risk of death from all causes, including cancer and

heart disease, by walking two miles a day. Other research has shown similar results for women.


Besides the well-documented health benefits, the beauty of walking is you can go at your own

pace. If you are new to exercise or recovering from injury or childbirth, you can aim to walk

for 20 to 45 minutes four or five days a week at the good fitness walking speed of three miles an

hour. When (and if) you want to power up, you can take longer walks and work up to walking each

mile in 15 minutes or less.
Once you are ready to hit the road (or the trail, track,

treadmill or mall), how do you make the most of your walking workout? Here are a few tips and

tricks:

Warm Up First, Then Stretch. Start by walking for just seven to 10 minutes (wear

a watch) and then do a few gentle stretches. Your muscles will stretch better if you have warmed

them up first. Ask a fitness professional which stretches are best for you.
Get Used To

Walking. When you first start to walk, just walk. Take your time and get used to doing it

again. Once your body has gotten used to the exercise it is time to improve and expand.
Take

Short, Quick Steps. By taking short, quick steps, rather than long strides, you will work your

glute muscles (in your buttocks) as you log miles.
Keep Your Head Up. Look about 10 feet

ahead of you. Imagine you are wearing a baseball cap and have to look up just enough to see the

road. This keeps your neck aligned properly.
Practice the Heel-Toe Roll. Push off from your

heel, roll through the outside of the foot, then push through the big toe. Think of the big toe

as the go button and push off with propulsion. Keep the other toes relaxed. (This takes

practice.)
Smile and Have Fun. Learning these techniques takes time and concentration. Be

patient and enjoy your workout. Dress comfortably, find a partner or wear a headset and listen

to music you love and, if you're walking outdoors, vary your route.
Squeeze Your Glutes.

Imagine squeezing and lifting your glutes up and back, as if you were holding a bill between

them! This will strengthen your low-back muscles. Developing the ability to maintain this deep

contraction throughout your walk will take a while.
Feel a hand on your back. Imagine as you

walk that somebody has a gentle but pushing hand on the small of your back – mentally you feel as

if you have a silent partner.
Pump Your Arms. Imagine you are holding the rubber grips of ski

poles in your hands. Stand straight, drop your shoulders, squeeze your shoulder blades behind

you and push back your elbows with each step. Keep your arm movements smooth and strong.
Zip

Up Your Abs. During your walk, imagine you are zipping up a tight pair of jeans. Stand tall and

pull your abdominal muscles up and in. You can practice this even when you are not walking.


Keep Your Chest Up, Shoulders Back. Use your walk as an opportunity to practice perfect

posture. Imagine someone dumped ice down your back. That is the feeling you want to have as you

hold your chest up and shoulders back.
Practice Mental Fitness. Do not replay the problems

of the day while you walk. Try to maintain a state of relaxed awareness by paying attention to

your breathing and noticing how your body feels. Visualize yourself getting healthier, stronger

and leaner.
Consistency is probably the most important part of your walking workout.

The more committed you are to walking all or most days of the week, the healthier you will be.

Remember that short walks are better than none at all. The path to good health, like life, is a

journey. All you have to do is take the first step.

About the Author:
I have

dedicated my life to studying the heart and the blood that pumps throughout the human body. I

have spent much of the last thirty years doing research and spending valuable time with patients,

trying to better understand the heart.

My experience in the field is extensive, and

includes achieving my doctorate in 1976 (Bio-Engineering/ Fluid Dynamics/ Applied Mathematics)

from The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, with a dissertation on, A Non-Linear Model of

Coronary Artery Blood

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