If you want to exercise, it doesn't get much easier than walking.
That's why so many of us are breaking out the sneakers for lunchtime power strolls. In 2006, 87.5 million Americans walked for exercise.
But like anything else, walking can get old. To prevent that, there are many ways to power your walk into a workout.
Setting goals for one -- walking farther, faster or uphill can take you to the next fitness level. Carrying hand weights, too, can work your arms while you walk.
Even rainy days offer a chance to shake up a walker's world. Just follow the steps taken by some downtown workers.
"If it rains we do the stairs in the building, 12 flights, four or five times," said Kim Januszkiewicz, 42, an employee at M&T Center in Buffalo, N.Y. She and three other workers walk daily through lunch either taking a 4.8-mile loop down Delaware to Gates Circle or a 3.5-mile out and back to Erie Basin Marina.
The friends average 4 mph, fast enough to energize, but slow enough for comfortable conversation, as essential to some walkers as a chilled bottle of Poland Spring.
"We sit at our desks all day, so if we don't walk, it definitely makes the afternoon longer," said Marianne Tyree, 30. "We have things to talk about. We walk together for companionship. Most of us exercise in addition to this."
By walking 10,000 steps -- or five miles daily -- the average person can achieve the level of exercise recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Heart Association. In addition, research from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine indicates that people who walk to exercise get "moderately intensive" activity when taking 100 steps a minute. "Walking conditions your heart," said cardiologist Dr. JoAnne Cobbler. "It improves circulation to your legs, reduces obesity and high blood pressure, and over time your heart rate will decrease because the heart becomes more efficient pumping more blood per each beat. Heart disease is preventable." Add Variety Proper form is critical for a basic walk -- stand tall, shoulders back, tight abs, heel-to-toe -- but if you really want to kick it up, add some arm action. Like the speed walkers you see cruising Crystal Beach, swing your arms high and wide, front to back. Try for a 90-degree angle, suggested www.sparkpeople.com, and you can burn 5 to 10 percent more calories. Start slow, work on your form and then build your speed gradually, always mindful of your breathing. You may also want to change direction. Walk sideways, for example, and feel the burn in your outer and inner thighs. Try it in both directions.
Interval training, too, is a good way to pump up your walk, alternating fast and not-so-fast jags with different stride lengths. The key here is to challenge different muscles. Too much of the same movement can stall muscle development. Shake up Your Route Just like climbing stairs when it rains, a change of scenery outdoors can breathe fresh air into your walk. Buffalo has the largest natural air-conditioner around. It's called Lake Erie, and it packs a breeze that can refresh any wilted walker. Maryann Morgan and Gail Raymond walk to the Erie Basin Marina each day from their workplace at HSBC Bank. Their route is 1.5 miles, level and paved. They would not miss it -- even in rain. "We keep a pretty good clip," said Raymond, talking while walking. "This route is picturesque with the gardens, boats -- and the water helps with the heat." Walking in water is a whole other story, since water provides 12 times the resistance of air, so if you really want to sweat--head for a pool, where a 30-minute walk is equal to two hours on land. Sizing up Your Step As work horses for your body, your feet together have 56 bones, making up one quarter of your skeletal framework. You need to treat them with care, and that includes choosing the correct walking shoe. It is critical that each foot hits the ground in the right position.
"The fit of the shoe is important," said podiatrist Dr. Roy DeFrancis. "Look for a light-weight walking shoe with breathable upper materials like leather or nylon mesh. The heel should be firm and have reduced cushioning to position it close to the ground for walk stability." Shop for shoes later in the afternoon because your feet tend to swell as the day goes on, cautioned DeFrancis. "If you fit them early in the morning, they might be tight later in the afternoon," he said. Buy padded socks made of acrylic fiber, DeFrancis recommended, because acrylic wicks away excessive perspiration. Active feet, with 250,000 sweat glands between them, can produce four to six ounces of fluid every day.
