Marathon Walking The Safe Way

Greetings!

This post is dedicated to Maria.

She asks:

Thanks for the great tips! I walked for the Susan B. Komen 3 Days last year and I started my training just a couple of months before the event -- not enough time to prepare me for walking the full 60 miles, and I got injured along the way. I hope this year, will be a better performance on my part. I tended to train twice a week by walking 10 miles on my own. Do you know of any good books for training walkers who are about 50lbs too heavy?

Let's begin with low cost means by beginning with assumptions --

a) Your injuries are healed
b) A medical assessment is adviseable before the 2nd walk to examine your legs
c) Some people's bones are not made for distance walking or running, particularly if they've led sedentary lives. There's nothing wrong with this lifesyle. People who are consistently active are made differently because they've had years to adapt.

If you could examine my legs under X-Ray, you'd see my bones are thick along the long bones. I've been very active all my life but I've been involved in the martial arts since I was 18. Now I'm 49 and I keep the martial arts forms going strong because they offer many health benefits. However, when students of all ages walked through my school doors, I offered an intial assessment. People young and older have to build up their activity over time. So, I have a system that's used to many different exercises.

A 60-mile walk is big!

Here's What You Can Do Today:

1) Consider strongly reassessing Year 2 goals -- spare yourself unnecessary injury because you only have one body. You want it to last a lifetime, said kindly! And.., we love your smile!
2) You may consider walking 20-30 miles in this year's event, as a more realistic goal but you could work up to a new level by Year 3, 4, and 5. That kind of a goal will take you into an entirely new human body.
3) Maintaining or increasing your strength, endurance, balance, and flexibility are the key factors to staying healthy. Walking builds your strength and endurance, which contributes to better balance.
4) You can improve your flexibility with stretching exercises designed specifically for inactive adults, starting slowly each day, holding poses, then over the coming weeks and months, increasing stretching levels. By striving to increase all four factors, you not only lower your risk of injury but you'll slow the aging process in your joints and muscles.
5) For some, walking a full hour or even 30-minutes a day may be difficult. I suggest walking a flexible schedule incorporating different exercises you may encounter in a 60-mile walk:

park farther away from the walk-in entrance at work
climb stairs (cut out elevators if knees allow)
reduce sugar intake
increase protein intake whenever you're hungry
walk on Friday evenings and Saturdays
walk Sunday if your body is still happy
then walk a longer distance on Wednesday.

The key is to get the time in "spent walking" (not entirely on a level, level surface), even if it's not all at once. If you can stay off concrete, I recommend that strategy but I'm willing to guess your actual walk will be on the streets.

I'll research books and let you know but we can start you out on my free ebook, titled, "Salad Recipes". Enter your name in the right-hand column to automatically download this book. It will begin to address excess weight humans commonly accumulate in a year's time.

As your health improves -- combine your walks for longer intervals over time, as you advance. Again, common sense goes a long way. Your body will always tell youh how it feels.

When you're tired -- schedule training on your calendar to make it happen.

When you're feeling strain -- rest. Try to include new challenges such as climbing a hill, extending the time you walk, increasing your walking pace, or adding an additional day of walking over time.

If you want more specifics, ask more Q's and we'll tackle more. There are many books out there but no 2 books are created equal.

I recommend a detox for starters.

See other article post on that topic. It gives you specifics, by name.

To Your Walking Success!

Barbara

Mystery Motto

"Great things are accomplished by creating a series of small things
strung together."

Fun Facts

Did You Know...in the U.S. alone, Americans spend as much as $115 Million dollars each year just to improve the tone of their abdominal muscles? Absolutely, it's true! They're spending money on exercise equipment, (Stowers Report, 2008). What can you do about a sagging belly today, without breaking the bank or purchasing heavy exercise equipment (which usually gathers dust in the corner of your bedroom or basement)? Get ready. The answer isn't sexy.

Sit-Ups! I hear you groaning already but don't lose heart. 1) Perform 25 each day for the first few weeks...moving up to 50 reps/per day for as many days as your body allows. In a few month's time, you'll have a stronger mid-section. 2) To add encouragement, have someone you love sit on your feet (like a child or a spouse). 3)Keep your back and neck straight, look up to the ceiling with each lift..., don't forget to breathe. 4) Sometimes, the best exercises are the simplest ones.

Toasting Your Health!

Barbara Brinkmeyer, MBA, 4th Degree Black Belt

How To Fight Chocolate Cravings (During Tax Season, Part 2)

Greetings Working Moms,

Offering you a quick post before you submit your final taxes.

If you're in the group of people who have "already done that but have the 2007 tax return t-shirt", congratulations! You reside in a very organized minority.

If you sit in the crisis-driven, wait-til-the-last-minute majority (like me), figuring out it's better to electronically submit your tax return 7 days before the deadline or you'll have to file via paper (because you missed the 48-hour e-filing window), then you're probably in need of a few minor "candy or chocolate pieces". Did you know that the average American eats 25 pounds of chocolate each year?

So what can you do about these cravings?

Garcinia extract can be very effective. You can find it at your local health foods store. I'll be mentioning this fact often in my posts.

If you can't swallow pills, try a high protein meal replacement powder or a low calorie, high protein chocolate bar of some type -- again see your local health foods store. They usually carry a brand high in fiber. It should be free of hydrogenated palm kernel oils or coconut oils because these trans fats are high in saturated fat.

The best bars I've found are Cliff Bars. They're great at staving off chocolate cravings.

If you are diabetic, choose a low blood sugar chocolate mint product. Russell Stover makes a nice product.

In my next post, we'll cover a Salad Recipe, talking about helpful diet tips for this upcoming Spring and Summer, 2008.

To Your Continued Health!

Barbara

Defrazzle Yourself (During Tax Season, Part 1)

Hello Everyone!

Before exercising, I'd like to share a free idea you can use today, nurturing yourself the next few weeks. Many people are naturally working 24/7 to address taxes, before April 15th hits.

Take 30-minutes out for yourself even if your day is busy. This exercise will absolutely put a spring back into your weighted step.

Step 1) Choose small items in your home. They should be objects you like greatly.
Step 2) Locate a small colorful basket.
Step 3) Add a candle, a fragrance, aromatherapy, favorite lotion, pictures of ones who bring you smiles..., adding anything that's happy.
Step 4) Place contents into your basket.
Step 5) Enjoy your basket as the days unfold.
Step 6) If the 'frazzled feeling' resurfaces, grab a cup of tea, coffee, or favorite juice.
Step 7) Go for a brief walk or get yourself moving in ways you enjoy most.
Step 8) If you require specific exercise tips, I will bring more information soon.
Step 9) Make certain you spend time with people you enjoy the most.
Step 10) Anyone who gives you a tough time, move along to someone who will offer you a smile. You deserve only the best!

We will ready ourselves for Spring and Summer by implementing Salad Recipes ebook very soon. If for any reason you can't locate your ebook, just fill out your information in the right-hand side of the "Healthy Holidays" blog to get your salad ebook. If you have any Q's, offer a comment on the blog and I will reply asap.

Celebrating Your Health Together,

Barbara

Flatter Belly In 10 Days Using A 3-Step Detox

Ever hit a point in life where your system is sluggish? Don't fret. Here are a few key things you can do to increase daily comfort, using a period cleansing system.

1) Increase bottled water to (10) 12 oz. glasses daily.
2) Eat plain shredded wheat each morning, if you're not allergic.
3) Stay away from sugar. The goal is to reduce dependency on sugar. Substitute Stevia extract in a flavor of your choice, found at the whole foods store.
3) Eat fruit every morning.
4) Add veggies at lunch and dinner.
5) Consider adding a salad for lunch.
6) Reduce white foods. Sorry -- remove all candy and crackers as processed carbs. Stick with whole grain foods/cereals/breads.
7) Eat white fish often, reducing red meat, as this food will block your system during cleansing.
8) A 3-step system you can safely use is an intestinal sweep. Nature's Way makes a wonderful Thisilyn Digestive Cleansing, priced at $29.95.
9) 15-30 minutes of daily exercise will shed unwanted weight. 30-minutes of house cleaning will stimulate your system.

3 parts To Toxin Removal (Detox) --

Part 1: Whole Body Detox in Thisilyn includes a blend of cranberry root, asparagus, and parsley.
Part 2: Probiotics replace friendly flora in your large intestine (acidophiles). This is essential for boosting immunity.
Part 3: Digestive Sweep - located in the section, Colon Cleansing, to remove toxins and impurities safely. You want to start your cleansing on a Friday.

Note: If you purchase anything other than an herbal formula, psyllium husk can irritate your intestines, causing cramping. Be sure to drink heavy amounts of water whenever you take a high fiber supplement. Also, be sure to use a system taken orally. I've found herbal kits are more gentle than most kits but if this system doesn't deliver results you want, I will offer alternatives soon. Please check out the blog for additional posts. I will have alternatives available very soon.

Here's To Beautiful Skin and A Leaner Body,

Barbara Brinkmeyer

Top Dieting Mistakes With 6 "Lean Body" Steps

One of the most common mistakes people make when embarking on a 'rapid journey to fast and furious weight loss' is to move towards starvation, oasting a list of 'off-limit' foods on the fridge, cutting out those unwanted calories. This sounds like a great strategy but it's absolutely the worse choice you may ever make.

Here's why:

1) improper diets slow metabolism
2) #1 triggers your body to burn muscles mass first
3) # 1 and #2 tell your body to spare fat reserves.

Remember, evolution rules but your body won't care whether or not you look great in a bathing suit. Your job is to communicate with your body actions it will understand most, knowing this type of specialized talk involves chemical reactions derived from exercise and food.

Here are 6 leaner body steps you can use today, preserving your muscle:

Step 1) Weight loss must be lasting, cutting calories slightly.
Pick high protein foods first.
Step 2) Toss out junk foods or put them in a cupboard.
Step 3) Lessen calories by drinking water and tea.
Step 4) Exercise several times each week.
Step 5) Exercise pays off . Some days you'll only get 30 minutes. Other days, you'll get more.
Step 6) Alter your mindset.

Mind and body work closely together. If you're not sure how to alter your thoughts, find someone you trust. When you're initially changing your body, it's common to add several pounds of weight in muscle first but until that time, your body will hang onto to excess weight before it burns the fat. So hang in there. To find out more, head to ______________.

Here's To Your Success!

Barbara Brinkmeyer