10 tips for a healthy walk
Dedicated local walkers Christina Monaghan and Catherine Everingham, along with fitness researcher Michael Rogers from Wichita State University and Wichita cardiologist Dr. Shilpa Kshatriya, offer these tips for developing a walking regimen:
Commit to it. By committing to a regular schedule of walking, Monaghan and Everingham say they have made walking a habit. “Do it regularly and make time for it to be part of your lifestyle,” Rogers said.
Plan for it. For her morning walks, Everingham lays out the clothes she’ll wear the night before, placing her socks and shoes near the door. With warmer days ahead, plan outdoor walks during the cooler temperatures of the morning.
Track it. Use a pedometer, a wearable wristband fitness tracker or a fitness app on a smartphone to help track your steps. If you see you’re falling short of your goal, it can be a motivator to help you move more.
Build up to it. Track how many steps you take each day and plan to increase the steps incrementally, about 10 percent a day, until you reach the recommended 10,000 steps a day. If your target goal is to get 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise, remember that you can break up walks into increments of 10 or 15 minutes throughout the day. “It’s an accumulative value,” Rogers said.
Get the right footwear. Poorly constructed walking shoes or overused shoes can lead to injuries. Invest in shoes that have good arch support, a firm heel and a flexible sole. Buy shoes at night after “gravity sucks the blood to the feet,” to ensure your shoes aren’t too small, Rogers said. Replace your shoes after 500 miles.
Increase the walk for weight loss. To accomplish weight loss goals with a walking program, one typically needs to do more activity — 60 to 90 minutes of walking and/or another aerobic activity five times a week, plus watching your caloric intake, Kshatriya said. Walking a mile generally burns about 100 calories
Stay hydrated. Cooler water is absorbed better by the body, said Rogers, noting several studies that back that up. Drink “more pure” water, he said, that doesn’t have carbohydrates or calories.
Look for paths. Many workplaces and communities promote wellness and have created walking paths for that reason. At the Robert Dole VA Medical Center where Monaghan works, for example, employees can download a guide to a 1-mile walking path on-site. Find nine walking trails through downtown Wichita at www.downtownwichita.org under the Have Fun menu. Another online resource for area walking trails is www.traillink.com.
Stay safe. If you walk at nighttime, do so in a well-lit area and wear reflective clothing.
Ask others to join you. A walking partner helps with accountability and motivation.
Amy Geiszler-Jones
This story was originally published April 28, 2017 at 6:10 PM with the headline "10 tips for a healthy walk."