26th
Calories In, Verses Calories Burned- It's Not Brain Surgery!
So here’s the deal. You have your pedometer right? And you know where you sit (quite literally) in that illustrious “sedentary” scale…so do something about it.
“Here’s a snapshot of how your body uses energy during the day: You burn around one calorie per minute at rest. If you start to walk, that might increase to four or five calories per minute. Vigorous exercise might bounce that up to 10 or 12 calories per minute…”
Martica Heaner (an exercise physiologist and nutritionist)
I don’t know about you, but I like to eat and if I can burn the food faster, I’m all for it. So get moving. All you need are your feet on a treadmill or on the pavement for 10 -15 minutes to start.
My recommendation is to step outside now while the weather is crisp enough to make it truly invigorating. Map out a route for yourself beforehand. Make sure it is safe and well lit and without hazardous potholes. Get some sturdy walking shoes, socks with decent thickness to absorb perspiration and put on clothes that are layerable especially since you might be cool when you start walking but after you get warmed up you’ll probably want to shed a layer.
I really like these wick away fabrics you can buy. They are lightweight sportswear that literally suck sweat up and off your body. They can be pricey so hop on Ebay or Craig’s List, TJ Max or Marshalls. I actually bought some Underarmour wick away shirts on Ebay for a fraction of what they cost in a sports store. The Underarmour is great but it does run tight so if you like loose clothes, get a size larger than you normally would.
I also love music to motivate me. Grab an MP3 or an Ipod and headphones and download some motivating music. I actually put together a walking mix for myself. It has about 8 minutes of laid back music at the front for walking slower because I am warming up my body and mind at a slower pace in the beginning and then the music picks up the pace as I do.
And remember to stretch out a little beforehand. Don’t go crazy with it. Your muscles are not warmed up and do not take kindly to a whole lot of stretching. Better to save the harder stretching for after the walk. I will offer some easy stretches I like to do, in my next posting.
Also do not forget sun screen if you are walking outside. That’s right we are at the age for telltale sunspots so let’s be real careful.
Drink a big ole glass of water before you leave to hydrate yourself.
And finally remember to go to the bathroom before you leave. Trust me, when you start walking you can… how shall I say… get other things moving so try and take care of your personal needs so you don’t have to race home or back to the office faster than you expected!
And when you get back, drink another glass of water. And take a look at that pedometer. It will feel good to see those numbers.
It will be tough starting this process. I know it well. But be easy on yourself. Walk for 10-15 minutes at first. And congratulate yourself heartily at the end. Increase the length of time gradually. Just get moving. Do it today. And tell me how it feels. Let’s kick some butt.
