The Senior Walking Fitness Blog

Hello Everybody

Now evenings are getting lighter and snowdrops are sending out green shoots and probably regretting it. So those who may not have walked much during the winter will need to think of suitable clothing for the coming Spring. All the hiking kit you need to buy, if you do not already have it, is a lightweight anorak, suitable clothes to wear beneath the anorak, a rucksack and a good pair of boots.

There are many anoraks out there, but first consider your undergarments. It is better to have two or three layers of inner clothing rather than a thick jumper. That way if you get hot you just remove a layer. They should be able to absorb and wick away sweat easily and such garments are available in most sports shops.

Ideally an anorak needs to be waterproof, have tight fitting adjustable cuffs, a collar which can be well zipped up, and stays zipped up, and a hood. The hood must be big enough to be easily adjusted and it should be possible to walk into a wind with your hood up without having to hold it in place. Some have a flexible wire sewn into the peak, which can be pushed into shape to fit closely. This is worth having.

What you get may not be ideal. Your anorak will probably be shower proof, not water proof. There is a reason for this. The material needs to breath so that there will not be condensation within the garment. Your sweat absorbent undergarments work up to a point, but a fully waterproof anorak would still be unpleasant to wear. So after a few minutes of heavy rain, if you are wearing just an anorak, you will be very wet indeed. To avoid this I carry a rolled up plastic mackintosh in my rucksack. The condensation problem does not seem to occur if this is worn over an anorak and it will get you through a downpour. British country dwellers, who experience heavy downpours most of the time, wear oiled Barbour jackets. These need re-proofing each year but will last 20 years, keep the rain out and never suffer condensation problems.

Your choice of rucksack will depend on the type of walking you do. You can choose a small Daypack, with the weight transferred through shoulder straps, or big Alpine or Backpacking Packs with internal frames to help distribute the load. For everyday walking keep it simple and light. A Daypack should be all you need to carry your mackintosh, sandwiches, drink, emergency kit and a few odds and ends. Make sure the shoulder straps are wide and well padded and that the rucksack fits well without moving on your back. If possible test it loaded before you make your purchase.

It is best to have lightweight boots, but they should be suitable for the type of country you walk in. Lightweight hiking boots or trail walking shoes are fine for most day trips. They are comfortable, breathable, cushioned and with tough soles suitable for average conditions. Rougher country needs stronger boots with ankle support to avoid sprains on difficult ground. Think about what you will be doing, look at the range in your local sports shop and choose carefully.

That is really all the hiking kit you need to consider when you are getting ready for country walking. Of course in warm weather you will need fewer clothes, but you should still wear good boots and carry a suitable rucksack. Spring is coming - enjoy yourself.

See you soon,

Peter Stockwell

29 January 2010

Photo. Bretedge (Flickr)

Technorati Tags: best anoraks, choose rucksacks, hiking kit, Senior walking fitness, walking footwear, walking shoes

We know that walking for weight loss has a lot of benefits. It can relieve short term stress by giving you time to relax and regular walking can help prevent depression. Then there is the list of illnesses exercise combats, such as heart disease, osteoporosis and, of course, the problems associated with obesity.

But does all this exercise cause insomnia? Generally not. There are many causes of insomnia from enhanced stress levels to television in the bedroom and a lot of older people just need less sleep. I would recommend brisk walking in the morning, just because that is the time we are likely to feel most energetic. But an evening stroll may be just the thing to help you unwind. If you do think evening exercise is keeping you awake just cut it out for a few days and see what happens.

Should you find evening walking does cause insomnia the obvious thing to do is walk in the morning instead. But this may not be possible. One of the things you should be doing is to walk 10,000 steps every day. That is about 4 miles and if you can manage it as part of your normal daily activity the problem is solved. You will need a pedometer to monitor how many steps you are taking. These are easily obtained from sports shops or online. Walk whenever you are able and see how the steps add up. You may be walking a lot less than 10,000 steps a day, but do your best to walk as much as possible in the time you have available.

It is unlikely that walking for weight loss will cause insomnia and it is an essential routine for the over 50s. In developed countries life expectancy for a man at age 50 is 78.5 years and for a woman 82.1 years. If they do not have a healthy lifestyle they could spend years battling illness. They may not even reach their estimated life span.

Obesity is one thing that can cause problems, smoking is another. Obese people should eat more healthy food and less of it, as well as getting regular exercise. Smokers should stop now.

Within 5-10 years of stopping smoking the risk of a heart attack will be the same as those who have never smoked. The risk of lung cancer will go down as well. Stopping smoking is not easy. But do it if you want to stay healthy and live as long as possible.

It is all very simple. A slim non smoker will live a longer happier life than an obese smoker. Which do you want to be? The choice is yours.

See you soon,

26 January 2010

Photo. Saxonfenken (Flickr)

Technorati Tags: best way to lose weight, cause insomnia, fitness walking, insomnia causes, sleep difficulties, walking for weight loss

Hello Everybody,

For many people, as they get older, arthritis becomes a real problem. There are numerous different types of arthritis but they are all painful. One of the most common is rheumatoid arthritis, which is an inflammatory disorder of the joints. There is medication available to help, but it is also emerging that a change of diet can decrease inflammation and relieve the pain.

In a review published in the British Journal of Nutrition Professor Philip Calder of the University of Southampton suggests that dietary changes might provide rheumatoid arthritis relief as well as helping a range of other inflammatory conditions. The key ingredients of the proposed diet are oily fish, fruit, vegetables, legumes and spices. Professor Calder says that some ingredients, such as the omega-3 fatty acids in fish oils and compounds in spices, have direct anti-inflammatory properties. Anti-oxidants in fruit and vegetables also help curb the action of free radicals which destroy healthy cells and damage inflamed areas.

Another good thing about oily fish is that omega-3 affects biological ageing. It does this by slowing down the rate at which protective caps on the ends of chromosomes shorten. To put it as simply as I can, each time a cell divides the caps - called telomeres - get shorter until a point is reached at which DNA becomes damaged and the cell may die. So slow down the shortening process and you slow down the ageing process.

This, of course, is all very familiar as we are speaking of the major ingredients of the Mediterranean Diet. There are, however, a few additional items suggested such as spices and garlic, both known to reduce inflammation. We should also not forget the need to cut out foods which can increase inflammation. These include trans fats (artificially created fats) saturated fats from red meat, dairy products, white bread and sugars.

If they do consider changing their diet older people should be aware that a Mediterranean Diet, or variations of it, can result in some weight loss even without much exercise. There can be natural weight loss in old age anyway, so they should make sure they are not losing an excessive amount of weight due to the diet.

Professor Calder says more studies need to be carried out to confirm these benefits.

‘It is certainly not a miracle cure,’ he says. ‘But it is one factor, along with genetic predisposition and other lifestyle habits such as smoking, that can affect inflammation and the likelihood of getting related diseases.’

There is, of course, no guarantee that rheumatoid arthritis relief will come as a result of changing diet. However there is plenty of evidence that it can work and for sufferers it must be worth a try.

See you soon,

21 January 2010

Photo. algo(Flickr)

Technorati Tags: arthritis diseases, diet for rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis relief, rheumatoid arthritis symptom

 Hello Everybody,

I was reading, in the excellent Outside the Beltway website, that Medicare - the American Federal Health-Insurance Program for the elderly and disabled - now regards obesity as an illness which will be covered by the scheme.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said, ‘Obesity is a critical public health problem in our country that causes millions of Americans to suffer unnecessary health problems and to die prematurely.’ Quite right too, and not just Americans but in other countries as well. But is it an illness?

It may be the symptom of an illness, either mental or physical, but I would argue that it is a lifestyle choice. Often it is caused by peer group pressure ‘Everybody is heavy in this neighbourhood.’ I am sure that it is possible to show that obesity is higher in blue collar areas than in white collar areas. This is not necessarily associated with income. You can spend as much money on pizzas in McDonalds or elsewhere as you can in your local organic food store. It is a lifestyle choice - you have chosen to be fat.

As we know obese people can suffer from illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke and many others. These are diseases, obesity is not a disease. Apparently the obese can now ask for reimbursement of the cost of treating their condition. Activities such as going to the gym, counselling and, for all I know, a walking holiday in the mountains may come free. Or free in part, if it is considered a legitimate request and, believe me, it will be.

It is amazing what we can achieve by a simple name change. Gluttony no longer exists, but being the unfortunate victim of a nation wide disease pandemic does.

It makes everybody feel so much better about the whole thing.

Fortunately there are a few people about with common sense. Rick Bermain, Executive Director of the Centre for Consumer Freedom said, ‘This is the only disease I’m familiar with that you can solve by regularly taking long walks and keeping your mouth shut.’ I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Sadly the people who most need to do something about their obesity are often those least likely to do so. What is needed is a massive media campaign to put across the message that obesity kills. It worked with smoking, now we need the same approach to promote a lifestyle that really does aid slimming. But please don’t let us confuse matters by calling obese people the victims of a disease.

See you soon,

18 January 2010

Photo. Freakier (Flickr)

Technorati Tags: help with obesity, international obesity, obese people, obesity risk factors, prevent obesity, treatment of obesity

Hello Everybody,

As we know walking is one of the best forms of healthy exercise and is particularly suited to older people. But those living in Europe will have experienced the worst winter for twenty years. It is hard to become motivated to take a walk when the pavements are icy and the day temperature below freezing. Better to sit at home with a glass of wine and a big fire, looking out at snowflakes settling on you neighbour’s cat. Delightful as that may be there is a downside and that is the 100 calories in your glass of wine. It will have to go somewhere and if you do not have your daily walk the scales will tell you exactly where it has gone. This does not matter too much if you are snowed-in for a short time but if it develops into a week or so you need to consider doing indoor exercises. These can be boring, but if you do them first thing in the morning your alternative healthy exercise is out of the way. Then you can get back to enjoying your fire and maybe even half a glass of wine.

Begin by holding out your arms sideways and circling them ten times one way and ten times the other.

Hold your arms at your sides slide your hand down your leg each side in turn bending at the waist. Do this ten times.

Sit with your leg straight out and rotate the ankle five times. Do this with each leg.

Sit down and stand up again ten times.

Stand up and do knee bends five times.

To help balance stand on one leg and count up to twenty, then stand on the other leg and do the same. Make sure you have something to hold on to in case you wobble, as you probably will do the first few times.

At the end of this you should feel slightly out of breath. If you feel really out of breath or have any other symptoms stop immediately and check with you doctor before you continue.

This will not burn off as many calories as a mile’s brisk walking. But it will burn off a few and you will not have gained as much weight while snowbound as you otherwise would have done. If you enjoy the exercises - and some people do - keep them up along with your fitness walking program. They will help with your upper body strength, something which walking alone does not greatly improve.

Try to avoid eating out of boredom. It is easy to sit in front of the television with a packet of biscuits and eat the lot. However, it is not a good idea to reduce the size of your regular meals. Even with your log fire and central heating it can still be cooler than usual indoors, particularly if you have an older house. So do not try to slim, just avoid putting on too much weight during the cold spell. Soon it will be over and the first snowdrops will make us all forget it ever happened. Then walking for fitness can start all over again.

See you soon,

16 January 2010

Photo. Abizeleth (Flickr)

Technorati Tags: healthy exercise, outside exercise, senior exercise, senior fitness, walking for health, walking weight loss

Hello Everybody,

A silver slimming program for older people can do a lot of good. Obesity at any age is a health risk and as you get older it can make life more and more difficult. And not only difficult. Overweight Senior women appear to be at more risk of Alzheimer’s disease than slimmer women. There seems to be a correlation between increased risk of dementia and the heavier they get. The reason is obscure, but may be related to the increased levels of blood sugar found in obese people affecting the brain.

Increased fat is deposited around the lungs as well as the abdomen, this can cause the breathlessness and fatigue we often see in older people. The jolly Pickwickian figure of legend may not be as jolly as he seems.

One thing to remember, if you are wanting to slim, is that old people can begin to lose weight naturally due to muscle wasting. So silver slimming must be carefully controlled to avoid too much weight loss taking place. Being aware of this and with their doctor’s blessing there is no reason why Seniors can not become fit and healthy along with younger people.

Having looked at the problem what is the solution? Walking exercise can slow muscle wasting and a healthy diet can bring your weight down to a level you feel comfortable with. So it is well worth doing.

A useful list of suggestions appears on

www.seniorhealth.about.com

‘Lifestyle Tips For Successful Weight Management

1. Always plan before you shop and keep a list of foods on your palm pilot or refrigerator.

2. Skip high calorie beverages such as sodas, juices, smoothies and blended coffee drinks. There are approximately nine packages of sugar and close to 150 calories in one 12-oz can of soda or juice. Smoothies and coffee drinks are often 250 -500 calories, excluding the whipped cream.

3. Fill up on fibre such as fruits and vegetables.

4. When using salad dressing, dilute with plain vinegar or lemon juice and always order dressing on the side.

5. Avoid alcohol. One glass of wine is about 100 calories. In addition, wine can lower your blood sugar and make you hungry.

6. Fill half your plate with steamed or raw vegetables and the other half with equal parts of protein and starch that is not loaded with fat. Remember to have fruit for dessert.

7. When you’re eating at a buffet, you don’t have to eat everything, there will always be another buffet. Line your plate with lettuce or spinach without dressing. In terms of salad dressing, again dilute dressing with vinegar or lemon juice.

8. Walk one mile; it will burn 100 calories.

9. Take advantage of the long summer days by walking, running, cycling, swimming and other outdoor activities.

10. Do some gardening; it’s a great form of exercise and it allows you to grow fresh vegetables.

11. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.

12. Play actively with your grandchildren or pets.

13. Establish flexible, short-term, attainable goals.’

This is all good stuff which I support wholeheartedly. One of the best points is to set attainable goals. Start exercising gently. It is all very well to aim to walk a mile a day, but if you have difficulty walking 100 yards to the Post Office you should not expect to a achieve a mile overnight. Just go a little further each day and maybe you will get there. If you do not think it possible then reduce your goal to one that is more realistic.

Avoid alcohol by all means. But why give it up if you enjoy it? A glass every so often will do no harm and is something to look forward to. So be flexible, do what you can and you will be well on your way to proving that walking exercise and a healthy diet aids slimming for everybody.

See you soon,

13 November 2010

Photo. Cepolina (Flickr)

Technorati Tags: aids slimming, senior fitness, silver slimming, slimming aids, walking exercise, walking for weight loss

Hello Everybody,  

It has been proved on many occasions that a walking exercise program really aids slimming. A brisk walk improves cardiovascular fitness, burns calories and makes you feel good. If you walk in cold weather your body will burn more fat as it tries to keep you warm and your metabolism will be raised. So for a given distance you will use even more calories.

The recommendations for how many minutes a week you should walk vary, but 150-200 minutes is usually suggested. About half an hour a day is reasonable to aim at and should not take up too much of your time. Do more by all means, if you have the motivation and energy. On a couple of days a week you can try short bursts of a minute of so fast walking - just short of running. This will burn off even more calories.

Do not forget that all physical exercise aids slimming to a greater or lesser degree, depending on how vigorously you do it. House work such as Hoovering is excellent and, of course, the more times you climb the stairs the better it is for you.

I did say that walking is a slimming aid. It is just that, but it is not all you need to do to become slim. Eat unhealthy food and however much you walk you are unlikely to lose much weight. Diet is important. You must eat three meals a day and these should include the five portions of fruit and vegetables we hear so much about. Avoid food rich in fat, sugar and salt - and this includes fizzy drinks.

You must be motivated - whatever gets you out of the house for an active half hour do it. A dog will certainly achieve this, but it is up to you to decide if forced motivation compensates for the multiple disadvantages of dog ownership. If you find exercise boring, or healthy food bland, you have chosen the wrong exercise and the wrong food. Look around for something better, do not just give up.

If you really dislike walking try cycling, or swimming or the numerous indoor exercises available. If you hate the food try alternative diets. In a previous post I recommend the Mediterranean diet, which is not remotely bland and has the advantage of including a daily glass of wine,

How long will it take to lose weight? That depends on how much you want to lose. Your thirty minutes walking, or whatever exercise you choose, plus a better diet should make you burn off a maximum of two pounds a week. You should be happy with one pound, but two is possible. Not much you may think, but you could lose half a stone a month. That must be worth the effort.

Age is not a problem in any of this. It is just a good idea for Seniors to let their doctor know they are thinking of starting an exercise program. He will be delighted, but may want to give them a precautionary check-up first. Older people might want to walk less briskly than those younger, but if they exercise at their own pace and eat a healthy diet they will find that walking, or any other suitable exercise, does really aid slimming.

See you soon,

9 January 2010

Photo. Che-burashka (Flickr)

Technorati Tags: aid slimming, aids slimming, best way to lose weight, easy weight loss, mediterranean diet, slimming aid, walking exercise program, walking for fitness

Hello Everybody,

As well as making a New Year resolution to keep up our walking for weight loss program we do need to consider our diet. As I have said before, the Mediterranean diet is the best I know. Not only is it effective but it tastes good as well, so you are not giving up enjoying your food when you begin.

Mediterranean people have the lowest obesity rate in the European Union, with low rates of heart disease and cancer, lower cholesterol and greater longevity. Of course they do have the advantage of a good climate and, for some, a relaxed lifestyle. But what they eat is an important factor in their general good health.

To put it simply the Mediterranean diet consists of fresh fruit and vegetables, pulses, lean meat and oily fish. But, as we know, the meal is in the preparation and Mediterranean people know all about preparation.

There are many regional dishes and many good cookery books available, but one of the best is The I Diet by Gino D’Acampo. The I in the title stands for Italian and a few meals from Gino D’Acampo’s book will make dieting seem a whole lot more attractive. Try a Light Omelette with Chives and Potatoes, Roasted Fresh Fruits with Grand Marnier, Pork Loin with White Wine and Sage Pesto or even Chestnut and Chocolate Cake. Amazingly each of these has less calories than a Starbucks coffee and almond croissant. So, like the Italians, you can eat well and lose weight at the same time.

I would suggest keeping to Southern Italian food. Not all Italians are thin and too much pasta can have a reverse effect to what you are trying to achieve.

Having looked at diet we need to consider exercise, as diet alone will not achieve fitness and keep you permanently slim.

There is nothing difficult about a walking for weight loss program. It just consists of putting on a good pair of boots, dressing for the weather and going for a walk. You can go anywhere, round the block, out into the country, along the beach. Just keep at it and walk every day. One minute’s walking at a reasonable speed will burn off about 4 calories. So the calories in that Light Omelette with Chives and Potatoes you have just eaten will take a little over an hour to lose. The good news is that you do not have to walk for a solid hour. You could walk half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the afternoon. As long as you do not eat a big meal during your break all will be well.

If you want more information on The I Diet it is available on Amazon and at good book shops. You may well find it helps you to the best diet ever.

See you soon,

7 January 2010

Photo. Keko64 (Flickr)

Technorati Tags: diet and exercise, fast weight loss, fat weight loss, fitness diet, mediterranean diet, quick weight loss

Hello Everybody,  

We know that walking is the best way to lose weight. But as the UK shivers in daytime temperatures of 1 degree Celsius older people may not think walking a good idea.

Winter walking in the countryside can be great fun, but for those living in towns it can be a nightmare. Your ever benevolent local Council has probably gritted the roads. But pavements come low down the priority list and many, even in town centres, are not gritted at all.

The best advice for older people is to stay at home. But after a few days the food runs out, the heating bills escalate and newspaper deliveries may become erratic. So they go out to the shops, slip on the pavement and find themselves in hospital in a mixed ward worrying about MRSA.

What can you do? If you have to go out take it gently and dress for the cold with plenty of clothes, a head covering, scarf and gloves. The most important thing, of course, is boots. They should be walking boots with a good tread on the sole. It is important that the boots are relatively new, because old boots may have very little tread left and are useless on ice. Rubber Wellington boots have the same problem, only more so, as they are not designed for a lot of walking and the soles can wear quickly. I know of two people who have recently fallen on ice and both were wearing Wellington boots. You may need them if there is thick snow and the best are made by Hunter. These have a good heel and a better and stronger sole than most other makes. But if possible do wear walking boots.

A stick will help give you confidence, but don’t rely on it too much as it could skid on ice and cause a fall.

If you have poor balance an icy pavement is not the place to be. I have written before about improving balance and it may be worth repeating some details.

Just start by standing on one leg for ten seconds and then the other leg for ten seconds every day. Do this for a few days, then work up to thirty seconds on each leg every day. Make sure you have something firm to reach for in case of a wobble. When you feel confident enough try doing it with your eyes shut or standing on a cushion. Keep doing this and your balance will improve. Probably it will not improve enough to save you if you slip on ice, but at other times you will feel much safer. For the minute or so a day it takes to do balance exercises they are well worth the trouble.

If you must go out take these few precautions and be safe. But if you are able stay indoors until the cold spell is over please do. Do not worry about missing your daily fitness walking. Or spoiling your weight loss plan by snacking out of boredom. The weather will not be bad for ever and you can start walking again as soon as you are able.

Gardeners should not forget the birds. They will be having a bad time too. Some peanuts in a feeder, a few handfuls of birdseed and a saucer of water will keep them going and entertain you as well.

See you soon,

Peter Stockwell

5 January 2010

Photo. Alaric Webster

Technorati Tags: best way to lose weight, fitness exercise program, heart health, over fifties, senior exercise, senior walking, walk, walking, walking for fitness, walking for weight loss

Hello Everybody,  

Happy New Year. Now that you have enjoyed Christmas, and probably put on weight as a result, you should think about getting back to your walking for weight loss program. But how much weight can you lose by walking anyway?

An average man needs 2500 calories a day and a woman 2000. But this depends on lifestyle. A sedentary man weighing 145 pounds needs just 1950 calories and if he is moderately active 2250. A sedentary woman of the same weight will need 1770 calories and if moderately active 2065. It is fairly obvious that if we are just sitting around we use less energy, the problem is that we are likely to be snacking as well.

So how many calories can we burn off by walking? If he or she walks at 3 miles an hour our 145 pound person will burn off 4 calories a minute. That is fine, but how much are they trying to burn off?

A grande Cappuccino and a butter croissant at Starbucks provides 560 calories. That is around a quarter of our daily needs and it is only 10 o’ clock in the morning. Worse, if we decide to walk the calories off it will take well over two hours and we will have covered six miles. We will then be very hungry and wanting a big lunch.

What all this is showing is that walking is not enough. A couple of miles a day is excellent, it does burn off calories and it certainly improves fitness levels. But you do have to eat a healthy diet as well, and coffee and croissant in the coffee shop and maybe a sandwich and another coffee at lunchtime is not a healthy diet.

To lose one or two pounds a week you will need to cut down on 300-500 calories a day. As it happens that is close to our grande Cappuccino and butter croissant at Starbucks. Replace those with a black coffee, preferably without sugar, and you are doing well.

If you make a few other changes to your diet you will be doing even better. Cut alcohol consumption to a maximum of one small glass of wine a day with a meal. Do not drink fizzy drinks. Leave out sugar in tea or coffee and, if you must have milk in it, use skimmed milk or Soya milk. Prepare your own lunchtime sandwiches so that you can use less butter and mayonnaise. You may also wish to eat fewer egg sandwiches to minimise your cholesterol level. These are just a few things that will help you lose weight without a massive lifestyle change.

But do keep up your walking. A walking for weight loss program really does work and it has many more benefits than just weight loss. For Seniors, or people living alone, it can give an opportunity to join a walking group and make new friends along the way. If you have access to the countryside there is always lot to do and see as the seasons change. In towns and cities there is plenty to explore. So not only will you be enjoying 2010, but keeping fit as well. I don’t think Starbucks will mind too much if they see you less often.

See you soon,

1 January 2010

Photo. Cl_thic (Flickr)

Technorati Tags: best way to lose weight, count your calories, lifetime fitness, Senior walking fitness, walking fitness program, walking for weight loss