Summer Salsa Snack

With the summer heat upon us, it's time to kick back with a refreshing Summer Salsa Snack....what???? Yeah, that's right - you heard me.  A summer Salsa.....made of with fresh fruit and served on cinnamon sugar pita chips.  Check out the recipe HERE.

Favorite Walking Plans

We are all walking (or running) for different reasons, but we have some commonalities that bond us including improved health.  No matter what your reason for walking/running, there are ways to tailor your training sessions to maximize your efforts to help you reach your goals and keep you motivated along the way.
Leading walking experts describe their favorite walking workouts HERE.

Are you an apple or a pear?

I'm sure you have heard about body shapes and being compared to an apple or a pear. 

Pears carry their weight mostly in their hips and buns which is considered healthier because the fat is not centralized around organs. 

Apples, on the other hand, tend to carry their weight more in the midsection - around their belly buttons....the ol' spare tire analogy.  Having weight in this area of your body is a significant risk to your health for a couple of reasons.  First, it is occupying the same physical space as your vital organs such as your liver and thus is choking out the organs.  Second, fat in this area is considered "metabolically active" meaning it secretes hormones which changes your blood chemistry - insulin especially (which is the fat storage hormone and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes). 

So, why am I sharing this with you during a walking program?  Because, you guessed it, walking can help trim your waistline.  Check out THIS article.

Come Stride with Us!

It's not too late to join us for the second session of summer striders.  Even if you missed last week, fear not - I have copies of the registration paperwork that you can complete.  Join us this Wednesday at 5:30 at the Hardees Pavilion. Bring a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or family member  - the more the merrier!
See you Wednesday!!!!

Running not your thing but want it to be?

When trying to start or maintain a running routine there are a few thing to keep in mind.  Check out THIS article from WebMD for additional suggestions on how to get started running. 

First is ensuring you are physically fit enough to engage in the more vigorous activity.  It starts with physically being able to do the actual jog/run - your heart, lungs, joints (hip, knee, ankle)

Next, it's about learning how to do it - the mechanics of how to carry your body, strike your foot, and breathe.

Third, it's about finding a good plan that balances the amount of running you do with the amount of rest your body needs.  Pushing yourself, either by going to fast or too far or too often during a week, can result in an overuse injury and sideline you for weeks, months, or even years.  Finding a good training plan is key - there are many good ones online and can all be amended to fit your fitness level and goals.
 
Lastly, it's about sticking with it.  That's where THIS article comes in.  Find tips and tricks to get and to stay motivated!

Intervals...they're for everybody!

Challenging your body by gently pushing yourself out of your comfort level is very important to continue to wrack up the health benefits.  Repeatedly doing the same workout over and over no longer challenges your body and the benefits stagnate. 

What's needed?  Great question!  Change is critical! 

It's important to gently push yourself to go a little faster.  Intervals are a great way to do that.  Intervals are perfect for walkers and runners alike.  Intervals can be based on a set time such as walking or running more quickly for 30 seconds and more slowly for 5 minutes to begin and then slowly increasing the amount of time you do the quicker pace while either shortening or maintaining the slower pace. 

Time is just one way to use intervals.  One can make up intervals based on distance as well by going to "that tree" at a faster pace and then going more slowly to the next mileage marker.  Just as you would do for the time intervals, you slowly add distance to your quicker pace interval and shorten the distance for your slower pace.

Either way, gentle transitions between paces is important to protect your knees - stopping and starting suddenly isn't a good idea. 

There is one other "interval" of sorts that is a little harder to come by given our local geography but it's not impossible.  Finding a hilly path (or using the incline on the treadmill works too).  Walk/run a path once every 2-3 weeks that is somewhat hilly.  At first, pick one or two hills to tackle.  As you build up endurance and physical capacity, tackle a few more hills and work up to do the route every other week. 

Get out of your rut by challenging yourself. 

Striding Success!

The weather was perfect for the final evening of our first session of Summer Striders!  What a great group of striders! 
Fear not, session 2 will start on Wednesday, July 12th at 5:30 at City Hall!  Until then, enjoy the holiday weekend!
Jan & Nicole....we'll really miss you, but wish you endless happiness and success!