Starting
with the Proper Fit
Walking
requires a single but extremely important piece of equipment:
good shoes. Wearing shoes that don't fit or properly support
your feet can result in almost immediate injury, resulting
not only in discomfort and pain, but also discouraging
you from achieving your goals.
The
definition of a good shoe is one that fits you, not necessarily
one that's expensive.
Skip
the trendy stores in the mall and seek out a running shoe
store staffed by professionally trained shoe fitters.
Plan on spending 30 minutes or more in your shoe fitting
and selection expedition, allowing the fitter to properly
assess your stance, foot strike, gait, and wear pattern,
while giving you ample time to try on as many pairs as
possible.
Take
an old pair of sneakers with you, so that the fitter can
assess your wear pattern. The fitter should look at you
in bare feet to determine whether you have low, medium,
or high arches. Finally, the fitter should watch you walk
and run in bare feet. All of these assessments provide
signs as to your shoe needs. If your shoe fitter isn't
looking at these things, find another store.
Everyone's
feet should pronate naturally, rolling from the outside
heel to the inside toe. Those of us with flat arches whose
shoes show wear on the inner section of the toe box over-pronate,
meaning that our feet rollover too much. We need strong,
stabilizing shoes that help prevent over-pronation.
Walkers
with high arches whose shoes show wear on the outer section
of the heel supinate; their feet don't rollover enough.
They need flexible shoes to encourage their feet to pronate.
Other
tips for a proper shoe fit:
-
Expect
to wear a shoe that's at least a full size larger than
your street shoes. Look for plenty of room in the toe
box area. Your toes should never touch the end of the
shoe.
-
Do
your fitting at the end of the day, when your feet are
swollen and tired.
-
Wear
the same type of socks that you'll wear when you exercise
in the shoes.
-
Try
on many pairs. Ask if you can walk around the block
in each pair before making a decision.
-
Just
because your friend says a particular model is fabulous
doesn't mean it will work for you.
-
Look
for a store with a liberal return policy. Many will
let you wear the shoes inside for a few days, to make
sure they fit.
-
If
you've exhausted all of the shoe possibilities and are
still having trouble finding a good fit, ask your fitter
about different lacing techniques such as bunny ears
to prevent heel slippage or lacing for wide feet.
-
Don't
expect to go out for a five-mile walk in your new shoes.
Ease into it, to make sure they fit correctly.
Finally,
remember that this decision is about function not fashion.
Buy the pair that fits the best, not the most trendy pair.
Setting
and Achieving Your Walking Goal
You've
got your shoes… Now what?
Many
experts recommend targeting 10,000 steps-per-day as a
way to monitor your walking and set a realistic goal.
Although the distance that you'll walk in 10,000 steps
will vary based on your stride length, 10,000 steps equates
to about five miles for most of us, which is right on
target with the government's recommendation for 60 minutes
of exercise per day.
An
inexpensive pedometer will help you track your steps.
You'll find plenty of models in the $15 to $25 price range
at your local sporting goods store or on the Internet.
Look for a comfortable, lightweight model. Consider getting
a model with a clock so that you can avoid missing your
client meeting!
Wear
your pedometer for a few days to monitor your baseline
steps-per-day. If you're like me, you'll be disappointed
to see how few steps you take during a normal workday.
Don't be discouraged, however. There are easy ways to
increase your normal steps-per-day, so that you won't
have to devote a lot of time to your new program. Fortunately,
when you're traveling, you tend to get more walking time
by trudging through airports, hotels, and offices, making
it even easier to reach your goal.
Obviously,
results may vary, perhaps substantially, but I spent a
few weeks tracking my steps for some common travel activities,
along with ways that you easily increase your daily steps.
Activity |
Steps |
Comments |
Typical
day in the office |
2,000 |
|
From
home to your gate at the airport |
800 |
Stop
looking for the dream spot. Start maximizing your
steps by parking at the far end of the lot. |
From
your gate to your destination airport |
2,000 |
Actual
results may vary. |
Full
day's travel |
5,000
to 6,000 |
Skip
the people mover. |
From
the parking lot to your hotel room |
500 |
|
Going
to multiple client meetings |
2,000 |
Wow! |
To
lunch or dinner |
500 |
Turn
lunchtime into exercise time by parking at the far
end of the parking lot! |
Walking
for 30 minutes |
3,900 |
Wear
your walking shoes and make use of your layover
or flight delays. |
Once
you've determined your baseline steps-per-day, set a schedule
for yourself to reach your 10,000 steps goal. If you're
not exercising regularly, plan on increasing your steps
by 150 to 250 per day (or roughly 10% of your baseline).
Folks already exercising three or more times per week
can plan a more aggressive schedule and target a 300 to
400 increase per day.
For
example, if your baseline is 2,500 steps, you'll need
about 30 days to reach 10,000 steps. If your goal is more
than 30 days away, set incremental goals at 5,000 and
7,500 steps.
Use
Healthy Travel Network's handy goal setting worksheet
and tracking log to monitor your progress.
Walking
Smart
Although
walking is simple and easy, you still need to remember
a few basic "do's" and "don'ts." Life
is short, so be smart and follow these pointers.
-
Don't
walk after dark.
-
Don't
walk in high-crime areas.
-
Don't
walk in sparsely populated areas.
-
Don't
walk on the road or highway.
-
Do
ask at the hotel for a decent route to follow.
-
Do
use the buddy system if you are walking early in the
morning or at dusk.
-
Do
drop an email or voice mail to a friend, stating your
route and approximate return time.
-
Do
carry identification, emergency contact information,
several dollars, and your cell phone. Go to www.roadid.com for convenient ID and emergency contact tags.
-
Do
wear reflective clothing if walking early in the morning
or at dusk. Look for easy-to-pack Velcro wrist or ankle
bands.
-
Do
dress in layers for cold weather, including a hat.
-
Do
stay hydrated, drinking 8 ounces of water per hour.
Always carry water, especially if it is over 50 degrees.
-
Do
spend the first five minutes of your walk warming up,
before kicking it into full gear.
-
Do
cool down by stretching. Key areas to stretch are hip
flexors, hamstrings, and calves. Visit the Healthy Travel
Network Travel Fitness blog for stretching instructions.
Make
regular walking part of your travel routine. Before you
know it, you'll be walking 10,000 steps per day, everyday!
(source: www.healthytravelnetwork.com)
