Making excursive routine fun

Rev Up Your Walking Routine

You know that walking is one of the best ways to stay fit but lately your walking routine has started to feel a bit, well, routine. You’ve tried taking different routes and walking with a friend but it still feels a little ho hum. Good news: There are some creative ways to enjoy all of the benefits of walking and have a little fun in the process.

Instead of lacing up your running shoes and walking around the neighborhood, slip into your swimsuit and go for a walk in the local pool. Water walking is a great workout and the buoyancy of the water reduces the stress on the joints.

Water walking includes forward and backward movements, long and short steps and different speeds to work all of the muscle groups. The workouts are often done in warm water because it relaxes the joints.

Check the group fitness schedule at your gym or community center to see if water walking classes are available. You can also ask your rheumatologist for a recommendation.

Believe it or not, a pair of walking poles will totally change your workout. Nordic walking is one of the hottest fitness trends – and for good reason. It burns up to 20 percent more calories, puts less strain on the knees than regular walking and the poles provide extra support for those with poor balance.

At first, strolling down the sidewalk with a pair of modified ski poles might seem odd but consider this: Nordic walking allows walkers to transfer the impact from the legs to the poles, making exercising more comfortable. The poles also encourage proper walking technique.

“It combines the advantages of fitness walking and cross-country skiing,” says Bernd Zimmermann, founder of the American Nordic Walking Association. “It is a very efficient full-body workout for walkers at all levels.”

Your heart might not be the only thing racing on your morning walks. If you’re rehearsing a difficult conversation with your boss and making a mental note to stop at the supermarket on the way home from work, it’s time to try ChiWalking.

ChiWalking incorporates the principles of Tai Chi with walking. The practice stresses good posture and proper breathing and overall mindfulness during your walks.

“It is a mindful practice because it requires focusing the mind to direct the movements,” explains Katherine Dryer, co-founder of ChiWalking, a company that offers chi walking training, books, DVDs, and other services. “Focusing on a stiff joint and making mindful movements can help loosen that joint.”

ChiWalking offers all of the same health and fitness benefits of walking but also improves balance and strengthens core muscles, allowing you to walk further with less effort. According to Dryer, it also reduces wear and tear on the joints, improves balance and strengthens the core muscles.

Trade your sneakers for dancing shoes, grab a partner and do some fancy footwork. Dancing, like walking, is a great form of exercise. Researchers at Columbia University found that participating in dance classes improved mobility and range of motion in the joints for arthritis sufferers.

There is also evidence that dancing builds muscle strength and improves coordination which can help protect against injurious falls. In fact, there is evidence that participating in arts activities like dancing offers several of the same health benefits as eating well and exercising.

“Arts activities like singing and dancing allow participants to have fun and develop a new talent,” notes Gene Cohen, MD, director for the Center on Aging, Health & Humanities at George Washington University. “These activities also offer meaningful personal engagement and robust social support which gives the immune system a boost.”

In addition to reporting fewer trips to the doctor and less reliance on medication, participants in a study released by the Center on Aging, Health & Humanities at George Washington University were also less prone to depression than their uninvolved counterparts.

You can dramatically change your workout by choosing a new setting on the treadmill. Add a slight incline or try interval training to work different muscles. Walking on an incline is a good alternative to walking faster and provides the same fitness benefits. It is important to use good form when walking on an incline.

“Poor posture, like gripping the rails to keep up with the speed of the treadmill can cause injuries,” says Theresa Lawrence Ford, MD, rheumatologist with the North Georgia Rheumatology Group.

The interval setting will alternate your speed throughout the workout. The fast-and-slow method boosts metabolism and improves fat burning.

“Interval training is not for beginners,” Lawrence Ford warns. “It is excellent for improving fat burn for more experienced walkers.”

Forget listening to the same 10 songs on your iPod; the next time you go for a walk, have a cultural experience. In cities around the United States, you can use your cell phone to take a walking tour.

Talking Street (www.talkingstreet.com) offers cell phone walking tours of New York, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Philadelphia, and other major U.S. cities.

The tours are historically accurate and filled with colorful anecdotes and celebrity gossip – it’s like having a hand-held tour guide that goes at your own pace.