Diets And Fitness

Short cardio workouts on most days plus strength training a few days a week sounds like so much of a commitment that for some the only alternative is to do nothing.

Studies show that even short exercise routines are helpful to cardiovascular health.Now there is evidence that small amounts of exercise aren’t worthless. A recent study, presented at the Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, shows that just about any heart workout still benefits health.

Older women who exercised an average of 10-30 minutes per day over a six month period had improvements in quality of life measures including self-reported measures of energy, success at work, psychological health, and overall fitness and well being.

Actual measures of heart health were not part of the study report. But starting with a simple walking routine each day is a terrific plan for improving heart health. Couple it with a high fiber diet - or whatever your doctor recommends - and you’ll really be doing better! Walking is easy for most people, it’s free, and there are a variety of places you can do it!

Walking Routes

Walk from your front door. If you live where there are level, safe sidewalks or walkways, walking outside is the easiest and quickest way to get your exercise. Hoof it as much as you can. If you live near a grocery store, plan to walk to pick up groceries every day or two instead of shopping once a week with a car.

Walk while shopping. If you are at a shopping center, park you car and walk from store to store instead of driving a couple blocks between stores. Indoor malls are usually big enough so you can get in a 10-15 minutes walk without doing more than one or two laps.

Visit gardens and parks. Break up your daily walking routine with a weekly trip to a botanical garden, public park or zoo. These spaces have unlimited opportunities for interesting walks and are especially good for walking with friends or walking groups.

Walking can be done at your club too. If you belong to a health club or have access to a gym, use a treadmill or indoor track.

Don’t abandon the exercise plan when away on vacations. Don’t think of vacations as times to take a break from your exercise routine. Vacations often have even more chances to enjoy walks. Some ideas for maximizing your walking routine on vacation: beach walks, walks at parks and museums, walks to explore new cities and neighborhoods, walk with relatives and children, walks after eating a big meal.

How Much Works?

The study above showed that women who walked for the equivalent of 70 minutes per week showed improvements in quality of life and quite possibly lowered their risk for coronary artery disease. If you are beginning a walking routine, start at this level by walking for ten minutes each day. Adjust the type of walking you do according to your current fitness level and ability.

Some people might start out with a pace of roughly 2 or 3 miles per hour. To start here, plan to walk about 1/3 of a mile in ten minutes. For a moderate walking pace of 4 miles per hour, plan to walk 2/3 of a mile in ten minutes. And for a vigorous walking pace, you can plan to cover almost one mile in ten minutes.

Besides your walking pace, you can vary your activity level by walking up and down hills or adding stairs to your walking routine.

After you have established a 10 minutes-a-day walking routine that works for you, increase your walking minutes. Work up to thirty minutes a day for slow, level walking or twenty minutes per day for vigorous or hilly walking. You can perform your walking all at once each day or break it up into ten or fifteen minute walks. Walk your way to heart health, and you’ll be happy you did

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