An Article from RavenscroftArt - Womans-Work Walking Program

Womans-Work Walking Exercise Program

It is hard to find the time to exercise. Here are some tips for making it part of your routine. This is a walking program that will help you ease back into physical activity if it's been a while. Get WALKING and Get MOVING!

Always consult with a physician before starting any exercise program. Warm up by walking at a slow pace for a few minutes. Warm up does not count as part of the workout. Pay attention to form. The heel strikes the ground first, then the foot rolls forward and pushes off on the toe. Feet should follow each other in a straight line. Be sure to take your pulse at least once during your walk. Cool down after your walk by walking slowly for a few minutes, then stretching slowly, holding each stretch for at least 30 seconds.

Week 1
Walk 10 continuous minutes every other day (treadmill or outside). If you miss a day, walk the next day instead.

Week 2
Walk 15 continuous minutes every other day. Walk as briskly as you can while still being able to talk.

Week 3
Walk 22 minutes every other day. Keep a brisk pace.

Week 4
Walk 33 minutes every other day. Continue a brisk pace.

Week 5
Walk for 45 minutes every other day.

Week 6
Walk briskly for 45 minutes every other day. Try to increase your pace, but keep the pace even. If you can't keep up the pace you set at the beginning of your walk, slow down, but don't stop. Keep moving for the entire 45 minutes.

Week 7
Walk briskly for 1 hour every other day. To keep up the challenge, measure the distance you cover.

Week 8 Walk very briskly for 1 hour every other day. Repeat this schedule for upcoming weeks. "Very brisk" means that you should feel as if you are pushing yourself a bit. You should be breathing hard but still able to carry on a conversation with someone.


HINTS FOR STICKING WITH THE PROGRAM

A regular walking program is safe exercise, with almost no risk of injury. It's also an ideal exercise for women who want to prevent osteoporosis and for couples and families who want to spend healthy time together.

If you have a walking partner, this activity becomes even more enjoyable. Here are a few activities to make time go more quickly. They also encourage you to talk, which will assure that you are not working beyond your aerobic threshold:

Activity 1
During your walk, compare notes on your experiences in junior high school (e.g., building, teachers, sports, favorite subjects, fads, music). At the halfway point begin talking about high school or college.

Activity 2
Tell each other all of the nursery rhymes, jump-rope chants, cheers and other word/rhythms you can remember. See if you can make the words match the rhythm of your strides.

Activity 3
The object of this walk is to clear your mind as you exercise your body. During the first half of the walk, pay attention to whatever thoughts enter your mind. As you become aware of each thought, verbalize it to your partner and then tune in to your mental processes again. You will probably have a steady stream of unrelated thoughts. Switch roles with your walking partner at the halfway point.

Activity 4
During your walk, play one or more games together. For instance, the Alphabet Game (find letters of the alphabet in order on signs), I spy ( one person picks out a visible object and tells its color, partner guesses what it is in 20 questions).

Activity 5
Take a coin along on your walk. Flip it at each corner. Round 1: heads = straight, tails = turn. Round 2: heads = left, tails = right.

Activity 6
Take a basketball with you. Take turns dribbling. Each person should dribble at least 3 bounces but no more than 10 before bounce-passing to your partner.