Walk This Way!

Pedometer

Aerosmith may have written it in 1975, but for generations, walking is an outstanding form of exercise. Physically, the benefits include:

• Improved blood flow, strengthening the heart muscle, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels

• Regular walking can help maintain a healthy weight, prevent weight gain, boost metabolism

• A 30-minute walk after meals can help regular blood sugar, which is especially beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes.

• Walking improves bone density and strengthens leg and core muscles

• Walking reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, the likelihood of developing diabetes and certain cancers.

• Walking (especially outdoors) can improve mood, reduce anxiety and lower stress hormones

• Walking can help your cognitive health by enhancing memory, thinking skills and risk of dementia.

• Regular walking can improve your sleep patterns and duration

Where'd ya get those shoes?

The best part about walking is that no special gear is needed outside of comfortable shoes and clothing. You can walk indoors or outdoors, at any pace for extended or short bursts throughout the day. And the more you walk, the more you'll experience gradual progression both for endurance and fitness training as well as transitioning you into more intense activities.

During my working career, I spent most of the time behind a desk or computer. As you can guess, it's easy to develop a bit of a "dad bod" if you're not careful.

One of my goals over the last year was to drop a few pounds and gain some endurance. I started with a treadmill in the basement hooked up to an iPad to watch movies as I walked. Nothing crazy, nothing too fast...just a couple miles per hour for about 20-25 minutes. Zero incline.

I did purchase a good pair of sneakers and had an objective to work my way up to 5,000 steps a day. Lots of cramping up and being winded at first and I got pretty discouraged quickly.

I didn't tell anybody other than my wife that I was doing it, so the expectations were low and there was nothing to prove except to myself. I kept at it and after several weeks, I started to see some results. Dropped a pant size but not much weight loss. But the endurance increased and I wasn't as winded. So I increased it to 6,000 steps a day and started moving a little faster on the treadmill. Still no Speedy Gonzales but I felt a little better about myself.

Once I felt a little more flexible and a bit lighter, other exercises followed - a trail bike, a boxing machine, some Tai Chi exercises. Again, I'm not out to look or feel like Mat Fraser (Widely regarded as the fittest man in the world), but I felt healthier.

Mat Fraser

I track my progress with an Apple Watch and Apple Fitness application that counts my movement and number of hours standing and an app called Pedometer++ that counts my steps and the number of flights of stairs I take every day. The green pedometer photo at the top of my post was actual steps taken last week as recorded on the watch and transferred to the app.

In addition to the treadmill, my wife and I have been getting up before work whenever the weather cooperates and walking together a couple of miles around the neighborhood. It's a great time to just walk and talk and get a little bit of sunlight. We enjoy communing with nature and one another. It's just a good way to start the day. She has been extremely supportive of my efforts and tries to ensure that we eat healthy.

I had always heard that you should shoot for 10,000 steps a day to maintain your health. The current thinking has adjusted that down somewhat:

• For most adults, aim for 7,000 to 10,000 steps per day for optimal health.

• For older adults, look to walk 6,000 to 8,000 steps to maintain independence, balance and cardiovascular health.

• For children/teens, look to walk 12,000 to 16,000 steps to support growth, bone and muscle development and healthy lifelong habits.

If you're reading this and thinking, there's NO WAY I can get in shape at my age or walk even 5,000 steps, start slowly and see how you do:

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever possible

• Take a short walk during lunch or walk during phone calls

• Park farther from the entrance to stores, businesses or use a restroom farther away.

• Incorporate short walks after meals or during work breaks

I strongly recommend some sort of device to track your progress. Being an Apple Fanboy, the Apple watch was a no brainer for me. But if you hate Apple (Yes, talking to you, Tag), there are plenty of bands that will track your steps, heart rate and sleep every day and won't break the bank. Some recommendations:

• The Herz P1 smart band - $59.00 on Herz P1 website

• The Fitbit Charge 6 - $133.10 on Amazon

• The Amazfit Band 7 - $46.99 on Amazon

• The Garmin Vivosmart 5 - $138.49 on Amazon

Check out the websites and reviews - some, like the Herz P1 have no subscription charge, are weatherproof, compatible with IOS and Android, and have a 30-day battery life before recharging.

You can even go with a cheap 3D Pedometer that you clip to your belt or waistband to track steps. We have one that was only $15.00 on Amazon and has proven to be extremely accurate when compared to the smart watch.

Whatever you decide, start slowly - Don't anticipate miracles overnight. I'm not there yet and have a long way to go. But I'm making progress and feeling better. You can too.