60% of Americans lead completely sedentary lifestyles 40% are clinically overweight 30 minutes a day is as effective in reducing risk of heart attack as high- intensity exercise

1. Why Walk??? That is the Questio
Women Who Walk
Leslie Verucci, MSN, RN, CNS, APRN-BC, CRNP

2. Why Walk?
60% of Americans
lead completely sedentary lifestyles
40% are clinically overweight
30 minutes a day
is as effective in reducing risk of
heart attack
as high- intensity exercise

3. Why is walking a good thing to
do?
Decrease your risk
of a heart attack
Decrease your chance
of developing diabetes
Lower health care costs

4. Walking for a Healthier You
 Best, safest, and most natural form of
exercise
 Effective form of exercise for all ages
 Effective form of exercise for all states and
levels of health
 Increases our sense of well-being
 We are actually designed for lengthy, regular
walking
 Need not be strenuous to reap significant
health benefits
 You don’t have to feel the burn

5. What are the health benefits?
 Brisk walk of 20 minutes three times weekly
– Lowers LDL cholesterol levels and raises HDL cholesterol
levels
– Stimulates circulation
– Strengthens the heart
– Helps control weight
• a brisk 1 hr walk burns @ 400 calories for the average
person
– Helps reduce stress and depression
• Keeps you emotionally healthy and enhances your well-
being
– Develop and maintain better coordination
– Prevents osteoporosis
• builds strong bones and slow bone loss

6. What are the health benefits
– Reduces high blood pressure
– Can help ease back discomfort
– Improves your muscle tone
• leads to lean, toned muscles, keeping you flexible and
active
– Develops strength, stamina and endurance
• slows down the ageing process, keeping you fit, agile and
mobile
– Boosts your energy level
– Lower your incidence of illness
– Increase your metabolism
– Best exercise for the brain
• does not call for blood sugar for energy like in aerobic
exercise

7. Is it okay for me to walk?
 Has your health care provider told you that you have heart trouble, diabetes, or
asthma?
 When you are physically active, do you have pains in your chest, neck,
shoulder, or arm?
 Do you often feel faint or have dizzy spells?
 Do you feel extremely breathless after you have been physically active?
 Has your health care provider told you that you have high blood pressure?
 Has your health care provider told you that you have bone or joint problems,
such as arthritis?
 Are you over 50 years old and not used to doing any moderate physical activity?
 Are you pregnant?
 Do you smoke?
 Do you have a health problem or physical reason not mentioned here that
might keep you from starting a walking program?

8. Important health tips to get you
started on the right foot
 Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise
program.
– He or she may require a physical exam or special instructions
based on your medical history.
 Don't overdo this program if you are a beginning exerciser.
– Let your body adjust to the new activity.
 For the first few weeks, do not push too hard.
– Your breathing should be elevated, but you should not be gasping
for air. A good rule of thumb is the "talk test"- if you cannot
answer a question, you are walking too fast. If you can have a full
conversation you are walking too slow.
 Walking shouldn't hurt.
– If it does, see your family physician
 Wear a watch so you can monitor the time spent walking. You
can also wear a pedometer to keep track of distance.

9. Tips for healthy walking
 Drink water before and afterwards.
– If very thirsty, stop to drink during your walk.
 Don’t walk right after a meal.
– Leave at least 45-60 minutes after eating before
taking a brisk walk.
 Avoid the hottest midday hours (noon to
3pm).
– The ideal time is morning or late afternoon.
 After a good long or brisk walk, it is a wise
idea to eat some form or carbohydrate within
a couple of hours to restore your glycogen.

10. How fast should I walk?
 Strolling walk
– walking in a relaxed way, good posture,
shoulders down, arms swinging naturally as you
walk
 Brisk walk
– fitness, pace or aerobic walking, stepping up your
pace and pumping your arms as you walk
 Power walk
– for a very fit, younger, experienced walker;
walking with weights (carrying them in your
hands and or strapping them on your waist and
ankles)

11. Advanced walkers
 Water walk
– walking (wading) through water. Walking hip to
waist high in water is a very good low-stress,
high- intensity exercise. For a higher intensity,
run in the water, but you will need a vest or
floatation device to keep you in an upright
position
 Treadmill walk
– chart distance and speed and time the walk.
– good during bad weather.

12. EQUATION:
For moderate walking:
Calories burned = 0.029 x weight (lbs)
x time (minutes)
For Vigorous walking:
Calories burned = 0.048 x weight (lbs)
x time (minutes)

13. Do I need special things to
walk?
 Good shoes, designed for walking
– When you walk, you land with 1½ times your
body weight on the outside of your heels; then
you roll your weight forward on the ball of your
foot.
– A good walking shoe will allow the rolling action
of the foot with ease.
– Older people may be more stable in a shoe with a
thinner hard sole
 Comfortable clothes
– Don’t restrict your movements
– Wear layers during cold months so that you can
peel off as you warm up

14. Walking correctly is very
important
Walk with your chin up and your
shoulders held slightly back.
Walk so that the heel of your foot
touches the ground first.
Roll your weight forward.
Walk with your toes pointed forward.
Swing your arms as you walk.

15. Tips to Help you Stick With a
Physical Activity Program
 Wear good shoes and socks
 Stay hydrated
 Try an mp3 player
 Log your walks
 Set a schedule and keep to it.
 Make walking physically challenging
 Invite friends and family to join you.
– Motivate each other to keep it up.
 Make walking mentally challenging
 Pay attention to how great you feel!
– Enjoy those endorphins!

16. Tips to Help you Stick With a
Physical Activity Program
 Tell someone about your walking commitment
 Think of your walk in three parts.
– Warm up by walking slowly for 5 minutes.
– Then, increase your speed and do a fast walk.
– Finally, cool down by walking slowly again for 5 minutes.
 Do light stretching after your warm-up and cool-
down
 Set goals.
 Reward yourself.
– At the end of each month that you stay on your exercise
program, reward yourself with something new - new
clothes, a compact disc, a new book - something that will
help keep you committed. But don't use food as a reward.

17. How do I stretch?
– Side Reach
• Reach one arm over your head and to the side. Keep
your hips steady and your shoulders straight to the
side. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat on the other side
– Wall Push
• Lean your hands on a wall with your feet about 3 to 4
feet away from the wall. Bend one knee and point it
toward the wall. Keep your back leg straight with your
foot flat and your toes pointed straight ahead. Hold for
10 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

18. How do I stretch?
– Knee Pull
• Lean your back against a wall. Keep your head, hips,
and feet in a straight line. Pull one knee to your chest,
hold for 10 seconds, then repeat with the other leg
– Leg Curl
• Pull your right foot to your buttocks with your right hand.
Stand straight and keep your knee pointing straight to
the ground. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat with your
left foot and hand.

19. How do I stretch?
– Hamstring
• Sit on a sturdy bench or hard surface so that
your left leg is stretched out on the bench with
your toes pointing up. Keep your right foot flat
on the floor. Straighten your back, and if you
feel a stretch in the back of your thigh, hold for
10 seconds and repeat with your right leg. [If
you do not yet feel a stretch, lean forward from
your hips until you do feel a stretch.]

20. Healthy Eating
The new recommendations for
American's dietary intake can be
found at www.mypyramid.gov.
This website gives the new food
guide pyramid and provides you
with individualized nutrition
information.
There is a definite link between
good nutrition, physical activity
and health. You owe it to yourself
to take a few minutes to
investigate this website and find
out what you can do to improve
your health through scientifically
sound nutrition information

21. Lets get going!!!!
Walking is free,
you can walk practically anywhere,
with family or friends
or by yourself.
All you need is
a pair of
comfortable walking shoes.

22. Lets get going!!!!!!
Remember to invite the
ones you love to join
you…
Lets keep them around a
little longer too.

23. Women Who Walk