... Participant Guide

... Participant Guide

Welcome! Congratulations on taking the first step to a healthier you! We hope this program will help you make physical activity a regular part of your everyday life. Why walk? We all know that exercise is important for good health and to feel good. In 1996 the US Surgeon General released a report that showed: People can improve their health by becoming moderately active on a regular basis Physical activity does not need to be strenuous to have health benefits The more activity you do, the greater the health benefit T he report challenged people to get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week. Accumulating smaller amounts of physical activity several times a day can also provide big health benefits. Walking is one of the easiest ways to be physically active. You can do it almost anywhere and at any time. Walking is also inexpensive. All you need to get started is a good pair of walking shoes. WALKING WILL: Increase your energy level Make you feel good Help you relax Help you sleep better Tone your muscles Help control your appetite Help you manage your weight Lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon cancer For these reasons, many people have started walking programs. Now that you are ready to start your own program, read and follow the information provided in this booklet. The goal of Walk for Better Health is to walk 10,000 steps or to engage in 30 minutes of physical activity every day.

IS IT OK FOR ME TO WALK? Answer the following questions before you start your walking program. Yes No Has your doctor ever told you that you have heart trouble? When you are physically active, do you have pains in your chest or on your left side (neck, shoulder, or arm)? Do you often feel faint or have dizzy spells? Do you feel extremely out of breath after you have been physically active? Has your health care provider told you that you have uncontrolled high blood pressure? Has your health care provider told you that you have bone or joint problems like arthritis, that could get worse if you are physically active (though these conditions often get better with exercise)? Are you over 50 years old and not used to a lot of physical activity? Do you have a health problem or a physical reason not mentioned here that might keep you from starting a walking program? If you answered Yes to any of these questions, please check with your doctor before starting a walking program or another form of physical activity. Safety Tips Keep safety in mind when you plan your route and the time of your walk. Walk with someone you know. Walk in the daytime or in well-lighted areas at night. Do not wear jewelry. Do not wear headphones, or keep the volume low so that you can hear traffic. Be aware of your surroundings. Bring a cell phone or change for a pay phone. When walking in the street, walk against the direction of traffic. Wear reflective gear. HOW DO I START A WALKING PROGRAM? Health experts agree that 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, on most days of the week can produce longterm health benefits. The President s Council on Physical Fitness suggests walking 10,000 steps (or about five miles) daily. The average person takes just 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day, which means it s nearly impossible to get in 10,000 without intentionally going for a walk. Getting started is the hardest part. Make time in your busy schedule to follow a walking program that will work for you. Choose a safe place to walk. Find a partner or group of people to walk with you. Your walking partner(s) should be able to walk with you on the same schedule and at the same speed. Wear shoes with thick flexible soles that will cushion your feet and absorb shock. Wear clothes that will keep you dry and comfortable. Look for synthetic fabrics that absorb sweat and remove it from your skin. 1 Continued on next page

Walking Program from page 1 For extra warmth in winter, wear a knit cap or visor. Layer your clothing so you can remove layers as you warm up. Do light stretching 5 minutes into your walk and after you walk. Think of your walk in three parts. 1. Walk slowly for 5 minutes. 2. Increase your speed for the next 5 to 20 minutes. 3. Finally, to cool down, walk slowly again for 5 minutes. Try to walk at least three times per week. Add 2-3 minutes per week to the walk. If you currently walk less than three times per week, increase your duration more slowly. To avoid stiff or sore muscles or joints, start gradually. Over several weeks, begin walking faster, going farther, and walking for longer periods of time. The longer and faster you walk, the better you will feel. You will also burn more calories. A sample walking program is shown below and examples of easy stretches are on page 3. 10 Ways to Increase Your Steps Most people walk between 3,000 and 5,000 steps each day. You can boost your steps by making some simple choices: 1 Park your car farther from the office or store. 2 Instead of using the drive-up window at the bank, park and walk in. 3 Get up from your desk and walk for a few minutes several times per day. 4 Take the stairs instead of the elevator. 5 Establish a routine of taking a 10-minute walk after dinner. 6 Walk around while you are on the phone. 7 Use part of your lunchtime to take a walk. 8 Walk to the coffee machine or restroom farthest from your office. 9 Take a walk while waiting at the doctor s office or a restaurant. 10 Exit the bus several stops before your destination and walk the rest of the way. To avoid injury, start out slowly. Work your way up to 10,000 steps gradually. Also remember, 10,000 steps may not be realistic for everyone. Talk with your doctor or other health care provider to set a goal that is right for you. A Sample Walking Program Warm Up Time Fast Walk Time Cool Down Time Total Time Week 1 Walk slowly 5 min Walk briskly 5 min Walk slowly 5 min 15 min Week 2 Walk slowly 5 min Walk briskly 8 min Walk slowly 5 min 18 min Week 3 Walk slowly 5 min Walk briskly 11 min Walk slowly 5 min 21 min Week 4 Walk slowly 5 min Walk briskly 14 min Walk slowly 5 min. 24 min Week 5 Walk slowly 5 min Walk briskly 17 min Walk slowly 5 min 27 min Week 6 Walk slowly 5 min Walk briskly 20 min Walk slowly 5 min 30 min Week 7 Walk slowly 5 min Walk briskly 23 min Walk slowly 5 min 33 min Week 8 Walk slowly 5 min Walk briskly 26 min Walk slowly 5 min 36 min Week 9 and beyond Walk slowly 5 min Walk briskly 30 min Walk slowly 5 min 40 min If you walk less than three times per week, increase the fast walk time more slowly. 2

HOW DO I WARM UP? Before you start to walk, do the stretches shown here. Generally it s recommended that you stretch after 5 to 10 minutes of walking. Remember do not bounce when you stretch. Perform slow movements and stretch only as far as you feel comfortable. SIDE REACHES Reach one arm over your head toward the opposite side of your body. Keep your hips steady, chest open and your shoulders facing forward. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds and repeat on the other side. QUADRICEPS STRETCH Pull your left foot to your buttocks with your left hand. Keep your knee pointing straight to the ground. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds and repeat with your right foot and right hand. Place your other hand on a wall or chair back to help maintain balance. CALF STRETCH Place your hands on a wall shoulder width apart with your feet about 3 to 4 feet away from the wall. Place one foot close to the wall, bend that knee and point it toward the wall. Keep your back leg straight with your foot flat on the floor and your toes pointed straight ahead. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds and repeat with the other leg. HAMSTRING STRETCH Sit on the floor with your legs in a V. Keep one leg straight and bend your other leg so that your foot is tucked in front of your pelvis. With your back straight and your head up, slowly lean forward at your waist. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds and repeat with the other leg. KNEE PULL Lean your back against a wall. Keep your head, hips and feet facing forward. Pull one knee to your chest, hold for 10 to 20 seconds, then repeat with the other leg. 3

Walking Reference Table While any increase in walking will help promote good health, most health experts recommend 30 minutes a day, on five or more days a week, or 10,000 steps daily, to produce the best, long-term health benefits. Whether you are tracking minutes, miles, or steps, this guide will help you determine how far you have gone. Steps Miles Kilometers Minutes 1000.5.80 10 2000 1.0 1.61 20 3000 1.5 2.41 30 4000 2.0 3.22 40 5000 2.5 4.02 50 6000 3.0 4.83 60 7000 3.5 5.63 70 8000 4.0 6.44 80 9000 4.5 7.24 90 10000 5.0 8.05 100 WALK THIS WAY Walk with your chin up and your shoulders held down and back, rather than rounded and relaxed. Walk so that the heel of your foot touches the ground first, then roll your weight forward to the ball of your foot. Walk with your toes pointed forward. Swing your arms as you walk, but do not allow your arms to cross over the centerline of your body. EXERCISE AND WEIGHT CONTROL Regular exercise is the best way to get the body burning calories. During prolonged activity the body needs a great deal of fuel, and it naturally turns to the biggest energy supply it has: stored body fat. The more exercise a person does, the more body fat is burned up to create energy. Some kinds of exercise use up more calories than others. Aerobic exercise is the quickest fat-burner and has the additional advantage of strengthening the heart. Popular aerobic activities include walking, running, aerobic dancing, swimming and bicycling. So, for weight loss, do aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes, at least three times a week. HOW MANY CALORIES WILL I BURN? Walking one mile burns about 100 calories depending on your weight, intensity and speed. Use this chart to find the number of calories burned per hour of activity for a 155-pound person. The more you weigh and the more intense your workout, the more calories you will burn. Activity Calories Burned per hour Aerobics, general 422 Basketball game 563 Bicycling, less than 10 mph 281 Bicycling, stationary (light effort) 387 Bicycling, stationary (moderate effort) 493 Dancing, general 317 Football, competitive 633 Gardening, general 352 Golf, pulling clubs 352 Judo, karate, kickboxing, tae kwan do 704 Mowing lawn 387 Running, 12 minutes per mile 563 Walking, three miles per hour 246 Weight lifting, light 211 4

THE RIGHT PACE FOR YOU You will reduce your risk of injury and enjoy walking much more if you go at the pace that s right for you. First and foremost, listen to your body to determine the best walking pace for you. If your pace feels too hard, slow down. TAKE THE TALK-SING TEST Try the talk-sing test to determine your ideal walking pace. If you can t talk and walk at the same time you are going too fast, however, if you can sing while you walk, it would be safe to go a little faster or more intensely. If you can talk, but not sing, you are doing fine. FINDING YOUR TARGET HEART RATE Heart rate is the term used to describe how many times the heart beats in a minute. At rest, an unconditioned heart beats about 80 times per minute. This is called the resting heart rate. At the other extreme, the fastest a heart can beat is called the maximum heart rate. To improve cardiovascular fitness, you should exercise hard enough to raise your heart rate above the resting level. The level suggested to raise the heart rate during exercise varies from person to person. Generally, it is best to exercise hard enough to raise the heart rate to 60 percent to 85 percent of the maximum heart rate. This range is known as the target heart range or THR. To achieve the most benefit, exercise regularly and continuously at your THR. The THR is calculated by first subtracting your current age from 220 to determine your maximum heart rate. Then multiply that number by.6 and.85 to determine your THR. For example, the target heart range for a 36-year-old woman is 110 to 156 beats per minute. Here is how it is calculated: 220-36 yrs. = 184 (her maximum heart rate) 184 x 0.6 = 110 (the lower end of her target heart range) 184 x 0.85 = 156 (the upper end of her target heart range) Thus, her target heart range while exercising is 110-156 beats per minute. Target Heart Rate Quick Reference Table Age Beats per minute Beats per 10 seconds 20 120-170 20-28 30 114-162 19-27 40 108-153 18-26 50 102-145 17-24 60 96-136 16-23 70 90-128 15-21 5

... 2004 Health Alliance Plan of Michigan 5M 10/04