The Senior Walking Fitness Blog

 Hello Everybody,

I found a very good Press Release recently on Senior Exercise, which says most of the things we have been looking at here. Losing weight and keeping fit is about doing it - as Woody Allen would say ‘Just showing up.’ But resolutions about losing weight are not always successful. What we hope for is quick and easy weight loss and it doesn’t always work out like that. We are told - more figures - that of those who make a resolution to lose weight it is maintained:

Past the first week: 75%

Past two weeks:      71%

After one month:    64%

After 6 months:      46%

Oh dear - I know the feeling well. But look at it another way. Nearly half keep going and you will be one of that half.

This is the Press Release:

‘Why do we diet and exercise and not

lose weight? Why are we tired but then can’t sleep? Scientists point to adrenal exhaustion, brought on by the chronic stress that over three quarters of us suffer from as the culprit. Find out why, diet and exercise are so important, what it is, and what you can do about it.
The mind is the key to successful weight

loss. Find out how motivation plays a part, what motivates you, what derails you and how to use it all to lose weight, stay healthy, and exercise well.
Stop trying to diet, you need to know how your body works and how it uses the food it is given. Know which foods will add the extra pounds in weight and which ones help you lose weight, ok so you are over forty years of age your body is not as fit and healthy as it used to be and you have managed to accumulate a few extra pounds of weight but hey so what you still feel reasonably fit, right.
Well maybe not, as you are getting older your body is slowing down and making such an effect to your Health that it is quite easy to become over weight, breathless and have low stamina levels, before you know it a few years have passed, your Health is not getting any better and you wished you had done something about it, but now it’s to late, well you are wrong.
It is never too late to achieve great fitness levels or lose that extra weight,
Ok heard it all before you say I have tried this and that before, nothing works for me. Well first of all if you do feel like this then you must stop being negative, set yourself some targets, there are lots of ways to increase the amount of activity you do. Team sports, racket sports, aerobics classes, running, walking, swimming and cycling will all improve your fitness levels.
Someone who increases the amount they exercise, but maintains the same diet and calorie intake, will almost certainly lose weight.
No matter if you hate gyms - even light exercise such as a short 20 minute walk will be beneficial if done most days of the week.
Every extra step you take helps. Always use the stairs instead of the lift, or get off the bus a stop before the usual one and walk the rest of the way.
Use commercial breaks between TV-programmes to stand up and do exercise, or consider using an exercise bicycle in the living room while watching your favourite programme.

The bottom line is that you burn fewer calories in your 50s, 60s, or 70s doing the same activities, and the same number of them, that you did in your 20s, 30s, or 40s. The key to preventing weight gain is to compensate by adjusting your food intake, exercising, and generally becoming more physically active.

 For more information:http://www.over40andfit.co.uk 27 Princess Margaret Avenue Kent CT12 6LG Tel:+441843 58990’

 That says it all really, we must turn up and keep going. People stop a fitness or weight loss program for a variety of reasons, one of which is that it isn’t fun any more. It’s hard to have fun by yourself, so a buddy really does help.

If you are trying to lose weight never call it dieting, it’s a lifestyle change. Dieting by its nature is short term- you go on a diet - you will probably fail. Like you have in the past, like your friends have in the past. But change your lifestyle and keep it up. It won’t be quick and easy weight loss, but it will be weight loss and after a few months just see the difference.

See you soon,

27 May 2009

Technorati Tags: fitness exercise program, heart health, how to lose weight quickly, lifetime fitness, over fifties, quick and easy weight loss, walking for weight loss

 Hello Everybody,

If you want an outdoor activity which combines the pleasures of walking for weight loss with easy full body exercise Nordic walking is the way to go.

Created in Finland as a way for cross country skiers to train in summer Nordic walking ,which can be defined as fitness walking with poles, benefit’s the whole body. It uses 90% of your muscles and can burn 45% more calories than ordinary walking. It exercises the upper body as well as the leg muscles and is an easy and comfortable way of obtaining an overall workout.

It is good cardiovascular exercise, increasing your heartbeat by 5-17 times per minute more than by normal walking. You can also increase upper body muscle endurance by 38% in just twelve weeks. US research has shown that the feeling of well being derived from Nordic Walking can result in a decrease in mood swings, anger and depression.

It is variously reported that there are between 3.5 million and 10 million active Nordic walkers in Europe. It is now spreading world wide and there are groups in Australia, Japan, the USA and many other countries.

Cardiovascular improvement.

Burning more calories.

Improved balance and stability - particularly useful for older persons.

Provides density preserving stress to bones.

Strengthens the back and abdominal muscles, relieving back pain and improving bad posture.

Decreases impact on joints - ankle, knee, hip - and assists people recovering from orthopaedic surgery.

Reduces heel strike force.

Helps eliminate tension in shoulder and neck.

So the benefits are numerous, and it is particularly helpful for older people, who may have given up jogging but who wish to carry on with a form of exercise which gives them real fitness benefits.

An increasing number of sports shops stock Nordic walking poles. When buying them it helps to seek expert advice. Poles must be carefully chosen to suit the walker’s height and reach and if possible an hour’s training helps to get used to using them. A fixed length pole is best, as poles should be light and adjustable mechanism increases weight. It is also a point of weakness and if a pole breaks it can cause injury.

Most have grips for easy use, removable rubber tips for hard surfaces and metal tips for walking elsewhere. Poles are usually made from aluminium, carbon fibre or composite materials.

Walking for weight loss can be a lot of fun in a group or with a walking buddy. There are Nordic Walking groups springing up in most countries, but if there is not one near you any walking group would be sure to welcome Nordic walkers. Then, if other people are interested, you might be able to form a Nordic walking group of your own. This activity is here to stay and will get bigger over the years, bringing fitness benefits to all ages world wide.

See You Soon,

Peter Stockwell

24 May 2007

Technorati Tags: fitness walking program, heart health, nordic walking, nordic walking exercise, senior walking exercise, walking for fitness, walking for weight loss, weight loss

Hello Everybody,

Being overweight is not a good idea. We already know this, but research is showing that it is even more life threatening than we may have thought. The World Cancer Research Fund tells us it is linked to cancer.

It has been found that numerous cancers can be avoided by a more healthy lifestyle and these include cancer of the breast, bowel, oesophagus, kidney, pancreas, womb lining and gall bladder.

Including the above it is estimated that a third of common cancers can be prevented by keeping your weight within the normal Body Mass Index range. There are no problems, you can achieve easy weight loss by exercise and a healthy diet. A diet consisting of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat and oily fish is one of the best and this helps protect you from life threatening disease.

The World Cancer Research Fund’s medical and scientific advisor, Professor Martin Wiseman says that people can avoid many cancers by keeping their Body Mass Index below 25.

Body Mass Index is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared. The normal range is 18.5 to 24.9. If you are 25 to 29.9 you are overweight and if you are above 30 you are obese.

There is a danger of thinking you are a bit overweight, but not much, so everything is fine. So a few more figures:

Just a moderate amount of extra fat - 10 to 20 pounds if you are of average height - can shorten your life.

A weight gain of just 11 to 18 pounds doubles a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes.

Nothing about being overweight is safe.

What you need is a lifestyle change, but if you want to kick start your new healthy lifestyle you can do no better than trying Jon Benson’s Fit Over Forty program. He has been overweight himself and he has written a book giving everything you need to know about easy weight loss. He also offers a free 10 day starter course which should show positive results. If you don’t like the course it has cost you nothing, if you do Jon Benson’s book tells you more.

Just access Jon Benson’s Fit Over Forty website to begin losing fat today.

See you soon,

16 May 2009

Technorati Tags: easy weight loss, heart health, how to lose weight quickly, walking weight loss

Hello Everybody,

You have been happily walking for weight loss for a some time. You are losing weight and are definitely on a roll. Then you wake up one morning feeling bad. Headache, itchy throat an overwhelming need to go back to sleep. You are ill! What to do?

It depends on what’s wrong with you. If you have a fever and the start of bronchitis forget walking for weight loss, or any other exercise, for a while and have the week off. If you just have a common cold keep going. I know, I know, this is a really bad cold and your mother always told you to wrap up and not leave the house. Believe me, it will make no difference.

From the first tickle to feeling terrible to feeling better is ten days. That’s how long a cold takes. Whatever you do it will be ten days. Buy expensive cold cures. Fine, you’ll be using them for ten days but don’t let me stop you. Your productivity will go down and your best friends will avoid you, but only for ten days.

People say ‘I am past the infectious stage now’ after a little while and go to the coffee shop or (heaven forbid - think of the calories) the pub. I am not too sure how long the infectious stage lasts. I suspect that as long as you are sneezing and blowing your nose you are infectious. Use a handkerchief and wash your hands - a lot. You’ll probably infect other people but at least you’ve tried not to.

So back to your walking for weight loss program. Keep it up if you can. Shorten your walk if you feel you can’t manage your usual distance. Maybe comfort eat a bit to cheer yourself up. Your fitness level will go down, but don’t worry. Build up to speed again when you feel better. It’s only ten days after all.

See you soon,

9 May 2009

Technorati Tags: fitness walking program, fitness walking programme, heart health, senior walking exercise, walking for fitness, walking for weight loss, weight loss

Hello Everybody,  

As well as walking for fitness and general enjoyment we are, of course, walking for weight loss. We don’t need to get too technical over this. After all how to lose weight can be summed up in five words, ‘Eat less and walk more’ Having said that I was most interested in an article by Wendy Bumgardner showing how walking for weight loss works. It gives more detail than one usually finds and also includes a chart from which you can work out exactly how many calories you are burning per mile of walking. Here it is:

 ‘Weight is determined mostly by the balance of calories - how many you burn vs. how many you eat each day. To lose weight, you need to increase your activity to burn more and/or eat fewer calories each day.

A pound of fat equals 3500 calories. To lose 1 pound a week you will need to expend 3500 more calories than you eat that week, whether through increased activity or decreased eating or both. Losing 1-2 pounds of fat a week is a sensible goal, and so you will want to use the combination of increased activity and eating less that will total 3500 calories for 7 days.

Your weight x distance = energy used walking. Time does not matter as much as distance. If you speed up to walking a mile in 13 minutes or less, you will be burning more calories per mile. But for most beginning walkers, it is best to increase the distance before working on speed. A simple rule of thumb is 100 calories per mile for a 180 pound person.

Note About the Calories Chart

You burn more calories per mile at very low speeds because you are basically stopping and starting with each step and your momentum isn’t helping to carry you along. Meanwhile, at very high walking speeds you are using more muscle groups with arm motion and with a racewalking stride. Those extra muscles burn up extra calories with each step. Running may burn more calories per mile as there is an up and down motion lifting your weight off the ground as well as moving it forward.

Calories burned per mile by walking   

The chart of callories burned per mile is based on MET research - metabolic equivalents of various activities.

 I hope that was of interest. The concept of faster and further should be considered with care when you are walking for weight loss. As I always say start slow and only move up a level when you feel really comfortable at doing so.

See you soon,

Technorati Tags: fitness walking program, fitness walking programme, heart health, senior walking exercise, walking for fitness, walking for weight loss, weight loss