Saturday, August 18, 2018

What's Your Fitness Personality?

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Although this article isn't exactly about walking/running, I REALLY appreciated it and wanted to share it with you.

Why do some people relish the alone time that comes with a long solo hike, while others are bored a quarter-mile in and desperate for some conversation? Why do some of us thrive on the mind-body experience of a tai chi class, while others glance around the room five minutes in and wonder, “Is this it?” And, why do some people love the challenge of a high-intensity cycling class, while others are ready to throw in their sweat-soaked towels before the warmup is even over?
It all comes down to personality.

Knowing yourself – your exercise preferences, goals and needs – is an often overlooked, but essential, component of developing a long-term exercise habit. After joining a fitness facility, many people are initially overwhelmed by the number of machines and the variety of group fitness classes. But you can avoid that predicament by doing a little self-analysis, particularly of your own exercise past. For instance, ask yourself: When you’ve had success, did you exercise alone or with a partner? Were you working with a trainer or instructor, or did you prefer putting your headphones on and doing your own thing?
Knowing the answers to these questions is more important than you may realize. For example, if you were in the best shape of your life when you participated in an evening walking group, then 30 minutes of solitude on the elliptical machine might not be your best choice. On the other hand, if you think of your workout as “me time”away from work or a hectic home life, then a high-volume aerobics room may be the stuff of nightmares. The importance of knowing yourself cannot be overstated. After all, the goal is to find a routine that you’ll be able to maintain over the long haul. If it clashes with your nature, that’s near impossible.

So how can you identify your fitness personality? If you look to one classic study as a guide, you might begin by assessing where you fall on the following seven “psychosocial dimensions,” or elements of your fitness personality profile:
1. Sociability 
2. Spontaneity 
3. Motivation 
4. Aggression 
5. Competitiveness 
6. Mental focus 
7. Risk-taking

In the study, researchers graded people who excelled in four forms of exercise – karate, aerobics, yoga and running – on each of the seven dimensions. They found that the karate group scored the highest for measures of aggression, competitiveness, spontaneity and risk-taking, while runners had the highest levels of self-motivation. Members of the aerobics group, on the other hand, were the most sociable, and the yoga participants had the most mental focus.

There are no real surprises there, but the study does illustrate an important point: That a bit of self-reflection can go a long way toward ensuring that you get off to a good start when beginning a new exercise program or adding a new element to your existing routine. Check out this table to get an idea of which forms of physical activity might be best for you:
Social
Spontaneous
Internally motivated
Non-social
Controlled
Externally motivated
Aggressive
Competitive
Focused
Risk-seeking
Non-aggressive
Non-competitive
Unfocused
Risk-avoiding

Of course, not everyone is on one end of the spectrum or the other, and some people may be risk-taking martial artists on Mondays after work and risk-avoiding tai chi practitioners early on Saturday mornings. The key is to know yourself so that you don’t become de-motivated after trying a few fitness classes that were probably never great fits for you in the first place.

Once you’ve gotten a sense of your fitness personality, take stock of other personal elements that make a difference in how likely you are to stick to a new routine. Your body clock is one of them. If you hit the snooze button repeatedly and struggle to get to work on time, for example, committing to an early morning class is likely the first step to disappointment, regardless of how well the activity matches your personality.

Next, ask yourself: Do you tend to look outward or inward during a workout? In other words, are you exercising to burn maximum calories or outrun your training partner, or do you take a more mindful approach to fitness – listening to your body’s needs and enjoying the view along the way?
It’s also helpful to consider whether you’re goal-driven. If you’re most likely to exercise when anticipating a big event – say, a wedding, reunion or adventuresome vacation – then you may want to identify or create something in the future that will motivate you to get moving.

Once you’ve established a routine, or successfully integrated a new element into your workout schedule, don’t be afraid to shake things up. Have you always been an introverted walker or swimmer? Try a group fitness class or join a running group – you’ll either surprise yourself and want to incorporate it into your more solitary routine or confirm that solo activities are best for you. On the other hand, if you’ve long been a thrill-seeker, consider that some mindfulness might help alleviate stress and bring a sense of calm you’ve never experienced.

Remember, the objective behind all of this soul-searching is simple: to find the physical activities that will keep you coming back for more. After all, the best forms of exercise are whichever ones you’ll do most often and for the long haul.

Saturday, August 11, 2018

Why Science Says You Should Be Walking?

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Why You Should be Walking, Science Says


Jennifer Purdie
 BY JENNIFER PURDIE

Whether you want to make healthy changes by working out, need to rehab a knee injury or simply prefer fresh-air exercise, walking is a great solution. Even for the avid marathoner, switching to a walk/run race program can help. “If you slow down, it lowers the odds that you will get injured and enables you to do more marathons in a row,” says Clyde Shank, a Plano, Texas, runner who has completed almost 300 marathons.
“Walking is one of the easiest exercises you can do; all you need is a pair of shoes,” says Meghan Kennihan, USATF run coach and NASM certified personal trainer. Plus, can do it almost anywhere.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF WALKING

To help influence you on the appeal of this exercise, the following additional health benefits of walking are backed by research:   
FEW-TO-NO ADVERSE SIDE EFFECTS
In an extensive review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine of walking group program studies, researchers found “no notable adverse side effects” on those who participated in walking groups. Instead, researchers found significant perks, including reductions in blood pressure, cholesterol levels, resting heart rates, body mass index and depression levels.
OFFERS RELIEF FROM DISEASE
Quality of life, more often than not, falters when dealing with a debilitating disease. But walking is one way to cope with a disease’s negative side effects. In a review published in Europe PMC, the author found walking can help with self-care and counter the lethargy and lack of social activity faced by those diagnosed with cancer.
HELPS WITH GLYCEMIC CONTROL
Using three databases and 18 studies, researchers published a review of walking effects on glycemic control among Type 2 diabetes patients in PLOS One. They found supervised walking vastly decreased A1c levels (diabetics have elevated levels) and helped ensure glycemic control. If you decide to walk as a form of cardiovascular exercise, the researchers recommend using supervision (i.e., using a coach for a walking program) or using motivational strategies when walking without supervision (i.e., following an online program).
STAVES OFF TYPE 2 DIABETES
Researchers, in a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, studied six sedentary, obese men ages 19–31 who participated in a walking program five days a week for 16 weeks. They found the men lowered their fasting blood sugar, reduced their insulin levels by 43% and decreased their insulin/glucose concentrations by 36%. The men also reduced body fat stores and internal insulin requirements.
HELPS THE BRAIN
In the Journal of American Geriatrics Societyresearchers studied 150 men and women ages 68–76 who participated in a community-based walking program just once a week for 90 minutes for three months. Results showed that walkers experienced higher word fluency and motor function than a control group.

2 WAYS TO GET STARTED

1. JOIN AN INTERNET SUPPORT GROUP
In a study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, researchers found walkers participating in an online community completed a walking program with 13% higher rates than those with no online community arm. Their conclusion? “Online communities may be a promising approach to reducing attrition.”
Kennihan agrees. “The only barrier for most people [to walk] is motivation. That is where online walking programs can be helpful.” She says they hold you accountable, provide support and offer encouragement from those with similar goals.
2. WALK A DOG
You do not need to get your own dog; you simply need one to walk. In a study from Clinical Nursing Research, 26 participants walked certified therapy dogs with a handler five days a week for 26 or 50 weeks. The 26-week group adhered to the program at a rate of 52%; the 50-week group adhered at a rate of 72%. The most common reason walkers stuck to the program was because the dogs need “us to walk them.”

Saturday, August 4, 2018

7 Health Benefits of Walking

We all know walking for fitness can be a great activity for beginners looking to start a daily exercise routine and shed pounds off your waist line. What you may not know is that a 30-minute walk can provide plenty of other benefits for your overall health that reach far beyond weight loss.
Whether you’re new to walking or an experienced runner, these seven surprising health benefits are proven to make a daily walk worth your while:
1

IMPROVE YOUR MOOD

Sometimes all you need is a little fresh air to change your attitude. In a recent study, researchers found that taking a daily walk can lift your mood even when thinking negatively about a dreaded task that must be completed afterward. This can help decrease depression, negate the need for medication and put your emotions in an overall happier place.
2

INCREASE BONE DENSITY

As you age, bone density can decrease and make an injury from a fall much more severe. To combat the effects of aging, studies have shown that walking can improve bone density and stop the loss of bone mass that is often associated with osteoporosis. Walking for up to 40 minutes a day may also help to reduce hip fractures and other injuries related to falls.
3

LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE

Whether it’s hypertension or cardiovascular health, walking has been shown to have positive effects on the overall health of your heart. A consistent walking routine can help lower your blood pressure and prevent heart disease. And while you’ll still want to consult a doctor before beginning an exercise routine, for anyone with existing heart conditions, walking can be a safer alternative to more vigorous forms of exercise.
4

BOOST YOUR METABOLISM

Losing weight and keeping it off is a little more complex than simply burning calories. In addition to a good diet, finding ways to boost your metabolism can help reduce fat around the waistline and prevent metabolic syndrome — the latter of which results from high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar. Walking has been shown to reverse this condition and boost your metabolism so you can burn more calories during the day when you’re not exercising. The key is upping the pace. Try including 1–2 minutes of power walking every five minutes during your daily walk to get started.
5

EASE INTO MORE INTENSE EXERCISE

If you really want to shed the pounds and improve your overall health, upping the intensity helps. The problem is it can be tough for beginners to jump right into activities like running or hiking without risking injury. Since walking is considered safe on the joints and a low-impact activity, beginning a walking program before you start running or other forms of high-intensity exercise can help. After you become more comfortable with a fitness walking routine, try a walk-run program to ease yourself into running for longer distances.
6

AID RECOVERY

Even if you are experienced with high-intensity activities and are fit, your body still needs time to rest and recover between workouts. Because walking is a low-to-moderate intensity exercise that gets the blood flowing and raises the heart rate, it can be an ideal recovery activity in between harder workouts. It can also help ease any joint, back and muscular pain associated with more extreme forms of exercise.
7

REDUCE STRESS

Stress has a way of creeping its way into our lives. Getting outside and exercising is one way to clear your mind and distract yourself from your current problems. Whether you take a short walk around the neighborhood or head to the track for a brisker workout, try to be more aware of your body, your surroundings and all the other good parts of life that are often ignored. This meditative state can have other positive effects on your health and well-being that go far beyond letting go of that guy who cut you off on the freeway.
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