Feeling Fallish

Oh man ... I love Fall! Well I love all seasons, but I get excited when a new one comes! It is such a PERFECT time to start fitness goals! Take for example, I want to lose 30 pounds, Fall is a great time for this because I start to walk farther than I am able in the summer. I have a huge Great Dane named Brutus and he is also 30 pounds overweight (even though we walk daily) and his heart just can't handle the summer heat. I've even asked other Dane owners who say the same thing about their "smaller" Danes. It's just not a good time for big dogs. It takes a lot of effort to pump blood through that big body and takes a toll on the heart. So we take short walks in the summer time so he can make it. Cooler fall weather means longer walks and more calories burned! It also means that I will be more in the mood to cook! Who wants a hot kitchen on hot summer nights?? YUCK. But again, now that the windows are open, I feel the need and want to get the crock pot out and fire up the oven.

The biggest thing to keep in mind is that we don't all have to run marathons to lose weight. Walking is an EXCELLENT source of exercise. In fact, the last time I went to my primary care physician office, they had a flyer out about the awesome health benefits of walking. Kaiser Permanente is taking part in a "Every Body Walk" campaign ( www.everybodywalk.org) Here are some statistics to get you out and walking and enjoying the beauty of fall!!!

Walking 20 minutes a day will burn 7 pounds of fat per year.
Walking 45 minutes a day cuts your risk of getting a cold in HALF. AWESOME!
Walking 1 minute ... yeah I typed it right ... ONE MINUTE can extend your life by 1.5-2 minutes!
Walking 6 miles a week can cut your risk of developing Alzheimers disease in HALF.
Women who walk for 1 hour a day 5 days a week and consume 1500 calories a day can lose and keep off 25 pounds!
Walking 30 minutes a day 4 times a week can reduce the risk of Diabetes nearly 60%.
Prostate cancer patients who walk 90 minutes a week have nearly 50% lower mortality risk.
Women who walk regularly are 31% less likely to develop colon cancer (than those who exercise less than one hour per week). Looks like my rump is safe ... for now!
Walking 30 minutes a day 5 times a week can cut the risk of heart disease by HALF.

Walking triggers endorphins which promotes relaxation, prevents anxiety and depression, reduces stress, cholesterol and blood pressure. In addition walking burns more calories than jogging, improves your balance, reduces risk of glaucoma and builds bone mass. Walking is especially beneficial for seniors, but I believe that building a good base now will only increase those benefits when I am older. So walking now is creating good habits to keep when I am in my 70's and up!

I love walking. It gives me time to think and clear my head. It is a great energy release for my dog. It gets my baby out of the house. I love enjoying nature and sucking in some fresh air and I always think about the benefits for my body. I have a very bad lower back and genetically I was preconditioned to have the awful knees I have. Walking is low impact which means I can easily walk for miles if I choose and still feel fine. I can't physically do that with running. If I ran a mile right now, I would be sore for at least a few days. In addition, you can add extra walking into your life anytime. You can walk on your lunch break at work, you can park far away at the grocery store or walk to the store, you can walk when you get home from work. Running I always feel has to be much more scheduled.  I have to figure out when I have time and I must shower afterward. I don't have a jogging stroller right now so I can't take my daughter with me. My dog is too big to run as far as I would need. When I walk, I can include everyone and go anytime.

Long story longer. You don't need to prep for the Boston marathon to lose weight or feel better about yourself. You just need to walk baby!! Yeah! Get that walk on!

So get out there and walk your booty off ... LITERALLY! And burn those tailgate calories honey!!!
Get up get out get walkin!




**All facts and statistics provided by Kaiser Permanente visit www.kp.org for additional information**