Marnie Caron - Walking for Fitness: The Beginners Handbook

WALKING FOR FITNESS
THE BEGINNERS HANDBOOK

WALKING

FOR FITNESS

THE BEGINNERS HANDBOOK

MARNIE CARON

& THE SPORT MEDICINE COUNCIL

OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Douglas & McIntyre Publishing Group

Vancouver/Toronto/Berkeley

Copyright 2007 Sport Medicine Council of British Columbia and Marnie Caron

Training programs and conditioning advice by Lynn Kanuka

07 08 09 10 11 5 4 3 2 1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or

transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written consent of the publisher

or a license from The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright). For a

copyright license, visit www.accesscopyright.ca or call toll free to 1-800-893-5777.

Greystone Books

A division of Douglas & McIntyre Ltd.

2323 Quebec Street, Suite 201

Vancouver, British Columbia

Canada V5T 4S7

www.greystonebooks.com

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Caron, Marnie

Walking for fitness : the beginners handbook / Marnie Caron and the

Sport Medicine Council of British Columbia.

Includes index.

ISBN-print: 978-1-55365-219-9
ISBN-ebook: 978-1-926685-55-7

Fitness walking. I. Sport Medicine Council of B.C. II. Title.

RA781.65.C38 2007 613.7'176 C2006-905604-8

Editing by Lucy Kenward

Cover design by Naomi MacDougall

Cover photography courtesy of First Light

Distributed in the U.S. by Publishers Group West

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the British Columbia Arts Council, and the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP) for our publishing activities.

This book is dedicated

to my grandmothers

whose strength and wisdom

made my journey easier:

Georgina Lyle and

Stanzel Trawick.

Contents

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the following friends and colleagues for your support, guidance and expertise in putting this project together: Dr. Bryan Barootes, Dr. Jim Bovard, Lynda Cannell, Dr. Diane Finegood, Sandy Friedman, Jennifer Gibson, Dr. Liz Joy, Lynn Kanuka, Lucy Kenward, Jill Lambert, Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Thom Lutes, Brad Moore, Phil Moore, Diana Rochon, Dr. Whitney Sedgwick and Dr. Trent Smith.

SOMETIMES, WHEN IM FOLDING THE LAUNDRY OR DOING the dishes, I ask myself: Did I really stand on the Olympic podium and receive a bronze medal for myself and for Canada? As long ago as that moment was, the answer is, of course, You bet I did! For a little 5-foot-nothing runner from Saskatchewan, it really was a dream come true.

These days, I no longer train or compete, and the only running I do is to keep up with my four kids! However, through my work as InTraining Program Director at the Sport Medicine Council of British Columbia, my passion for fitness has been revitalized as I find myself able to share my expertise with people like you, who for your own reasons have decided youd like to become more active. Even though at this moment you may be a little unsure of yourself, I know that with proper guidance you will discover how simple starting to exercise can be and how it will make such a difference in your life. On a personal level, its been wonderful to be able to help people find an exercise path that is right for them: I had no idea of the tremendous strength and inspiration I would receive from those who truly take charge of their personal goals for fitness and then discover the joy in their accomplishments.

Congratulations to you! Youve already begun your new lifestyle, because youve made the decision that your health is important to you and youve started to read this book. Walking for Fitness will guide you with expert advice, tips and encouragement from people just like you who have improved their health, managed their weight, overcome injuries and stayed motivated by following these simple tried-and-true programs. I know you will find yourself on these pages, and no matter your starting point, Im confident youll be able to take the steps necessary to do what you want to do, be who you want to be and live your best life.

Happy walking: not only will you be healthier for it, youre going to have fun!

Lynn Kanuka

The following two symbols are used throughout this book:

Interesting facts about walking, fitness and health

Brief summaries of key information from the text

Walking tips from Olympian Lynn Kanuka

1
Why Walk?

THE PLAIN AND SIMPLE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION THAT opens this chapter is: the more you move, the healthier you will become and the better you will feel. Walking is, without doubt, one of the easiest ways to improve your health, fitness and overall well-being. For many of us, walking makes up nearly all of our daily activity. And at the end of the day, its the sum of our steps that determines the state of our health. You may not perceive the few steps to the car or the quick walk home from the grocery store as exercise, but its the accumulation of this activity, or the lack of it, that can determine whether youre active and healthy or sedentary and unhealthy. From improving your heart health and elevating your mood to maintaining a healthy weight, walking is an ideal form of exercise for almost everyone.

Eleven reasons why walking is great:

1. Anyone can do it.

2. It improves your health.

3. It slows the aging process.

4. It is excellent for heart health.

5. It builds healthy bones.

6. It improves mood and reduces stress.

7. It increases flexibility.

8. It is an effective way to control weight.

9. It is a good form of transportation.

10. It is good for the environment.

11. It is fun and enjoyable.

Anyone Can Do It

If you can put one foot in front of the other, you can walk for exercise. You can do it! Honest. Most people can walk for exercisewhether youve never been active in the past or whether youre recovering from an injury or a health problem. Gradually increasing the number of steps you take each day is a great way to improve your fitness. The best part is that you can do it almost anytime, anywhere, and all you need is a pair of walking shoes and a good dose of motivation to get you on your way.

Walking Improves Your Health

Exercise doesnt have to hurt for it to work. One of the biggest challenges facing individuals who start an exercise program is overcoming the belief that for a fitness routine to be beneficial, it must be rigorous and difficult. The truth is, you just need to become more active than you are currently to begin reaping the rewards. Once you start walking for exercise, you will realize that over time your strength, energy and confidence will improve.

In this book, we provide you with a walking program that is gradual and progressive. Our long-term goal is for you to be able to walk 30 minutes a day, most days of the week. This is the level of activity recommended for general health by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Sports Medicine and the surgeon general of the United States. But dont be concerned if this goal feels out of reach. Remember, this book is a road map for improving your fitness. As with any journey, you get to decide your starting point and your destination.