The Right Steps for a Healthier New Year
By John Ewing
Truckers Connection
1/21/2008
Have you ever heard the expression, “Walk a mile in his shoes”? Well, this month I’d like to talk about walking a mile in your own shoes. Truckers have a reputation that I’d really like to see us kick. When the door to the cab of that big Pete opens, the general public is expecting a big man to climb down out of that truck. Obesity is the number one health problem among truckers. In this issue, we’re talking a little about what you can do about that so I though I’d talk a little about walking and cardio (heart) exercises.
The first step in walking is to get yourself a pair of good walking shoes. Those cowboy boots may look really cool, but they’re meant for riding not walking, so stop by the sporting goods or shoe store and pick up a pair of walking shoes.
The second step is to walk. To get the most out of a walk, you should spend 30 minutes walking every day. This isn’t a stroll; it’s a walk that is meant to get your heart pumping, so walk as fast as you can. You’ll find over time that you’ll need to go a little faster each week as your heart strengthens, and it will. I never believed much in the power of walking or jogging until I decided to give it a try in an effort to lose some of those extra pounds. A few months of steady progress and seeing my resting heart rate go from high sixties to low fifties convinced me.
Remember, just as with any form of exercise, it’s best to start out slow. While you may be breathing a little hard, you should not be panting. A good rule of thumb is you should be able to talk and walk. If you’re out of breath to the point where you cannot carry on a conversation, then you should slow down. You may eventually work up to jogging a couple miles, but don’t try it the first day.
The nice thing about walking is that there’s almost always a place you can go for a walk. Rest areas often have a sidewalk around them, truck stops, depending on the area, have big parking lots, Wal-Mart stores have huge parking lots. If you want to walk, it’s easy to find a place to do it and you can make it a part of your regular routine. Also pull into the farthest pump out at the fuel island. Park at the back of the lot if you’re going into the truck stop. Take the long way around when you walk in. There are opportunities to walk every day if we just take advantage of them.
If you want to keep track of your walking, there are several ways to do it. A Pedometer is the least expensive way to do this, and a GPS/heart rate monitor is the most expensive. A pedometer is basically a step counter. You attach it to your belt and it counts the number of steps you take. There are also pedometers that allow you to set the distance for each step and then calculate how far you’ve gone. The GPS monitors actually use satellite to track your movements and will plot a track for your walk. Some of them even have area maps that are available and will show you your trail on a map. I use one of these to track my walks and another neat feature of them is that they’ll connect to your computer and keep track of your walks so you can see your progress, which can be really important in helping to keep you motivated and on the move.
Whether you track your distance or not, a heart rate monitor is a good idea, especially if you want to improve your heart health. The goal is to elevate your heart rate for 30 minutes. This prolonged elevation strengthens the heart and a stronger heart doesn’t have to work as hard to keep your body provided with oxygen the rest of the time. Do you need to exercise your heart? An easy way to find out is to check your resting heart rate. When you’re sitting and not physically active count your pulse. A resting heart rate of 60 to 80 is average for people who don’t exercise. For those who do exercise on a regular basis a resting heart rate of 45 to 55 is average. As a general rule the lower your resting heart rate the healthier your heart.
There are a lot of articles on the Internet on exercise for both weight loss and for a good cardio workout. Before you start any real exercise program be sure to get a physical and to talk to your doctor about your plans. This is especially critical if you have not exercised for a long time, are overweight or have any history of heart problems or other health risks. Walking, even a slow walk, is better than nothing at all, but before you start really challenging your body and your heart be sure your body is ready for the challenge.
A 30-minute walk is ideal for doing a cardio workout, but every step you take during the day will burn calories and move you one step closer to good health. So just keep truckin’ and just keep walkin.’
Till next month, be safe.
