October is International Walk to School Month

in Newsletter on October 9, 2009 | No Comments »

International Walk to School Month gives children, parents, school teachers and community leaders an opportunity to be part of a global event as they celebrate the many benefits of walking. In 2008, millions of walkers from around the world walked to school together for various reasons – all hoping to create communities that are safe places to walk.

The trip there and back provides a great way to get in more steps on your pedometer and gives you time on the way back to reflect on your upcoming day.  The extra 2000 steps you take that day could make the difference between an extra pound of weight loss or improving your blood pressure. So if you’re not doing it already, get out there and walk your kids to school.

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Get the most out of your pedometer this Fall

in Newsletter on October 6, 2009 | No Comments »

Now that the weather is turning cooler, it’s time to start increasing your daily step averages in if necessary get back into your walking mode now that Summer is over.

To get the most out of your pedometer as well as in meeting your fitness goals the following are a few tips to help you get the most out of walking:

*Set realistic goals. It’s very important to be specific in what your goals are.  Instead of saying “I want to start walking more” say “I’m going to walk an additional 15 minutes Mon/1000 steps – Friday and additional 30-minutes/3000 steps on Sunday”.

*Write down what you want to gain from walking.  For instance, “I want to walk a 10k in for Breast Cancer Awareness without feeling tired”.

*Buy Good Walking Shoes.  Make sure you have the right shoes for the right job.  If you’re walking, don’t purchase running shoes and vise versa.  Make sure that your shoes have ample toe, mid-sole or heel support (depending on your foot type), and most importantly when purchasing new shoes, they should always be extremely comfortable.  You should not have to “break in” your shoes.

A good rule of thumb is to replace your shoes every 300 miles of wear or every 6 months.  The first thing to wear out on your shoes is the soles.  Check them often for wear and tear.

* Buy quality Socks.  I can’t tell you how many people develop blisters from wearing inadequate socks.  Make sure there’s no rubbing on the heel, under your feet or on your toes.  One good way to keep the life of your socks longer is to wash inside out with no bleach, which can often break down the fibers.

* Dress right.  Dress in loose-fitting comfortable clothes that allow your skin to “breathe”.  Always remember to wear sunscreen.  You can still cause damage to your skin even when it’s overcast.  Avoid if possible tight-fitting clothes that can cause chaffing against your skin.  Wear appropriate clothes for the weather and remember if you’re walking in the early morning or later in the evening, add some reflective tape to your clothes so that cars can see you from a distance.

* Stay Hydrated.  Remember to drink water before and after your workout.  If you exercise for more than 20 minutes, drink another ½ cup of water, especially if it’s hot outside.

Well, I hope these tips get you fired up to get back into your walking program. If you have any additional questions, please drop me an email and I’ll be more than happy to help.

Walk Strong and Wear Your Pedometer.

Fitfully yours,

Trainerlisa

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Why Stretch?

in Newsletter on October 6, 2009 | No Comments »

Stretching – underused and often forgotten by most walkers as part of their regular walking routine. It is useful for both injury prevention and injury treatment. If done properly, stretching increases flexibility and this directly translates into reduced risk of injury. When a muscle/tendon group has a greater range of motion passively, it will be less likely to experience tears when used actively. Furthermore, stretching is also thought to improve recovery.

How to Stretch

Static stretching is the most commonly way to stretch and it is done by slowly moving a joint towards it’s end-range of motion. A gentle “pulling” sensation should be felt in the desired muscle. This position is then held for 15 – 20 seconds. Do not stretch to the point of pain and do not bounce since this may cause injury to the muscle. A set of 3 to 5 stretches is probably sufficient to get the maximum out of the routine. Alternate between agonist and antagonist muscle groups (eg. quadriceps and hamstrings), and alternate sides.

When to Stretch

To get the most benefit from your static stretching routine while minimizing injury, stretching should be done after warm-up exercises. The increased blood flow to the muscles aids in the flexibility gains from stretching and is an important component for injury prevention.

Stretches

Neck - shoulder to shoulder

Tricep stretch

Chest stretch

Calf stretch

Qadricep stretch

Inner thigh stretch

Hamstring stretch

Enjoy an injury free walk!

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Quirkplace Wellness

in WalkingSpree on September 28, 2009 | No Comments »

How to tell if your spouse has taken their workplace wellness program to the next level;)

Find out how a workplace wellness pedometer program can motivate you and your employees while having fun!

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Inside WalkingSpree

in Newsletter, WalkingSpree on September 2, 2009 | No Comments »

Top 100 Walkers in WalkingSpree for August 2009.

Screen Name Total Steps Total Aerobic Steps Average Steps Average Aerobic Steps
1 JBS 16236514 10910046 37411 25138
2 Brock 13172640 9008772 35410 24217
3 UEATMOREBANANAS 9937785 2958015 21372 6361
4 KC Kitty 9824694 4555826 29772 13806
5 Summerlin 9225064 4765072 38438 19854
6 Jesse 8211825 4792248 29433 17177
7 Dang 7843224 5183632 31626 20902
8 LBrady 7527936 5565972 20236 14962
9 ppease 7192456 2932040 29969 12217
10 lou ferrigno 7191144 3842598 38662 20659
11 DennyJimBob 7159728 2234340 19888 6207
12 Judy Maly 6848348 4457583 16993 11061
13 One Step Beyond 6799170 2617060 24283 9347
14 Phenelda-Dean 6761271 4399549 19828 12902
15 Bobles 6650853 3825591 19504 11219
16 Aang 6618820 3383240 25457 13012
17 The Timster 6533790 4565010 21779 15217
18 dkorabASUbaby 6514016 3456208 26266 13936
19 Springer 6255984 2916704 25226 11761
20 dab 6148922 1979952 15258 4913
21 Me_Shell 5981355 1905336 21439 6829
22 Bonnie Johns 5916064 3602137 22409 13644
23 GKocal 5804094 4132878 31205 22220
24 Go Bucks! 5741180 2771460 18520 8940
25 indiagirl 5695984 4368264 22968 17614
26 codysang 5648660 2245200 18221 7243
27 cincykd 5634320 2299140 18781 7664
28 Dwight Hollis 5619410 3524470 18127 11369
29 Lloyd Sisson 5615500 3819450 18115 12321
30 Bill Maly 5606890 3239060 18087 10449
31 ZMAN 5581764 3101679 20006 11117
32 opus1964 5550424 2776512 22381 11196
33 MAUREEN48 5448806 2021800 7989 2965
34 mathew 5424420 3716930 18081 12390
35 Ronda Pollack 5396898 2839915 13392 7047
36 pennyp 5369870 2865800 17322 9245
37 G-ma 5350239 2669445 22864 11408
38 mtlhd 5343480 2256168 15903 6715
39 Di 5323571 2942643 15612 8629
40 paddy 5252244 2060520 14119 5539
41 Goose 5213384 2827209 16927 9179
42 Joan Schloemer 5195192 2798048 20948 11282
43 Smith 1963 5071008 2102448 13632 5652
44 Shannon Hoover 5066950 3362260 16345 10846
45 INTOFUN 5064552 2507240 20422 10110
46 tgandy 5034770 3031060 16241 9778
47 TROY FREEBURG 5017840 684610 16187 2208
48 Pigpen 4994390 2302750 16111 7428
49 Rhonda 4962789 2193802 15906 7031
50 Johnny Lyle 4956976 1119416 19988 4514
51 Evelyn53 4947900 2183390 15961 7043
52 LWalker 4897968 2524928 19750 10181
53 ruderwoman 4897960 2524640 15800 8144
54 John Hanson 4894974 1849344 26317 9943
55 Herpgal 4877388 1673496 13111 4499
56 MAHAL KITA 4854930 3946340 34678 28188
57 Nummy Gale 4816764 2038344 12948 5479
58 Caryl Johnso 4798410 2464720 15479 7951
59 Dexa Queen 4760173 860761 13959 2524
60 lpease 4739800 3431152 19749 14296
61 GMoser 4729064 1842528 19069 7430
62 Bikini 4707420 2586930 16812 9239
63 Teeschu 4674987 2850417 17912 10921
64 Vicki Masminster 4634280 2521600 15448 8405
65 Robert1962 4579370 2763490 17613 10629
66 onthego 4578704 1485048 21198 6875
67 ctreleaven 4578440 2726070 16352 9736
68 wolverine 4552992 2558502 16319 9170
69 rmarsh3119 4534168 993384 18283 4006
70 Paul 4pvl 4497624 3774924 16121 13530
71 JJ 48 4489230 1247490 14481 4024
72 WeWe 4460220 2216740 17841 8867
73 Scott Vinicombe 4456440 1934760 17970 7801
74 Strider 4398288 1707576 11823 4590
75 Pat Brown 4374090 2003480 17496 8014
76 jrltexas1 4366440 3046428 15161 10578
77 perechevre 4353670 866340 15549 3094
78 Hey Jude 4346408 1297681 13171 3932
79 Bill Luckman 4341400 2033856 17506 8201
80 Kathleen 4325472 2446144 17441 9863
81 Katie52478 4294392 828472 17316 3341
82 Melinda 4290600 3126768 20628 15033
83 alcott 4266185 1655929 13851 5376
84 wis1952 4243635 1662225 10104 3958
85 Cat 4238455 1204138 10517 2988
86 mjyork 4225752 1745400 11360 4692
87 theater girl 4222430 2176910 13621 7022
88 Skeezix 4222072 2669384 13532 8556
89 Kevin Hensley 4209040 2052992 16972 8278
90 CincyVol 4193345 1657370 10405 4113
91 andyt 4191800 3081440 21832 16049
92 MarthaH 4175129 1440656 21302 7350
93 Patty D 4171910 2400760 13458 7744
94 BHiskett 4142128 2285184 18492 10202
95 Ninja 123 4136720 1472370 17986 6402
96 saikim 4115952 2473000 16597 9972
97 Random 4105930 1648830 15207 6107
98 Janelle 4101860 1867070 13232 6023
99 Konnie Rask 4057270 1757040 13088 5668
100 greatlegs42 4042440 2745504 11616 7889

10 Million Step Club

Screen Name Total Steps
Robert1962 17039089
Vera Herman 13574925
JBS 13473704
MAHAL KITA 12490757
Aang 12433184
KC Kitty 12431727
LBrady 11492959
Bashful 11218909
Lisa Taylor 11217956
whhosken 10257143
TROY FREEBURG 10182924
Joan Schloemer 10175175
One Step Beyond 10131353

Understanding Virtual Walks




Please excuse the video quality. We are working on a higher quality video.

For those in the retail program watch for a new Amazing Race style walk.  Go for a Mediterranean Escape that starts in Rome and travels through the Greek Islands and all the way to Tuscany, Italy.

Next month: Guide to the Food Tracker

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