"Put one foot in front of the other...and soon you'll be walking cross the floor; put one foot in front of the other and soon you'll be walking out the door" (Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, 1970)
Exercising can start out as simply as the words tell us in this beloved song. It is widely accepted by sports medicine experts that walking at least 30 minutes a day is recommended to improve your health.
Here's a few more tips to help you get in the habit of exercising regularly:
- Wear comfortable clothing-Clothing that fits and doesn't bind or pinch is essential. Cotton is a great choice because it naturally breaths as you move. Footwear that fits your foot is important. Spend a little time in a shoe store having the length and width of your foot measured. Talk with the footwear experts about padding, arch support, toe box space and heel width. You want a shoe that is snug and secure but does not pinch, squeeze or potentially make blisters on your foot. Choosing a well fitting shoe is so much more important than a brand name or a color.
- Start small-Take a walk around your neighborhood. Start with 10 minutes and then add a few minutes every couple of days. Within a short time, you'll be up to 30 minutes. Another option is to break your walk into 3 separate walks of 10 minutes each, spaced through out your day. Once you get walking, you will find that it will become easier each time.
- Have a goal-Choose something to work toward. Sign up for a 5K, plan a mother-daughter race, make a bet with your husband. A friend of mine had a contest with her sister who lived several states away. Their contest was to see who could walk a "marathon"(26.2 miles) in the shortest number of days. Each time they walked they recorded the miles accomplished and reported to each other. My friend completed her marathon in 15 days, her sister in 17 days. They are working on a 100 mile contest now.
- Set realistic goals - You may feel that the goal of walking 365 days in a row, running a marathon this summer or losing 50 pounds is not really within your success scope. But setting a goal of walking 100 minutes or swimming 10 miles or losing 5 pounds is very doable.
- Reward your accomplishments- Choose a reward that makes you happy. Some of my favorites are a manicure, a new book or a ticket to a movie. The secret to a happy life is to find the little treats everyday!
- Find an exercise partner- Choose someone who will keep you accountable, cheer on your accomplishments and pick you up when you stumble. There's nothing like that knock on your door, when you think you don't want to go walking to motivate you to get going!
- Walk with your dog-He needs the exercise and so do you!
- Use a pedometer-10,000 steps are equal to about 5 miles of movement. You might be pleasantly surprised by how great meeting your goal feels when you get there each day. My husband started using a fitbit counter this year and each time he meets his goal of 10,000 steps he gets a little vibration telling him he met this milestone. It is a happy reminder to keep going every day! There are many varieties of pedometers from very inexpensive to very fancy with lots of bells and whistles. Do a little research to find one that meets your needs.
- Figure out your best pace-You can measure your exertion with a pulse check. One easy way to measure your pulse is to walk fast enough to not be able to sing a song, but not so fast you cannot talk. If you can sing while you are walking, pick up your pace!
