You can name any athlete from any sport and no matter how fast they run, skate or ski, each of them had to learn how to walk first.
Walking is a form of exercise that almost everybody can do, but to truly reap the benefits you may have to do a lot more of it.
New guidelines from Participaction recommends adults 18 to 64 exercise 150 minutes over the course of an entire week, each time sustaining enough intensity for at least 10 minutes to work up a slight sweat and breathe harder. Walking briskly and keeping your stomach muscles tight and arms pumping is an excellent way to elevate your heart rate as well as strengthen and stretch your body.
Whatever your goal, you can jumpstart your new year by walking your way into running and following expert advice from chef and doctor on the run Diane and Doug Clement, respectively. In their book, Start Fresh! Your Complete Guide to Mid-Lifestyle Food and Fitness, the Olympians and fitness ambassadors encourage Canadians to exercise regularly and adopt healthy eating habits.
Released in 2008, Start Fresh! suggests taking an honest and objective assessment of your health. The Clements write, "Before you begin to make changes in the amount of exercise you do each day and in your food intake, let's figure out how healthy you are right now.
Here are six questions you can ask to assess your current lifestyle.
. Are you overweight? Check your Body Measurement Index, while not a perfect test, the BMI will give you an indication of your healthy weight. If your BMI is over the ideal range, it's likely you're carrying extra fat. Speak with your doctor but otherwise you'll find a good calculator online at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (cdc.com).
. Are you an apple, an avocado or a pear? Carrying excess weight around your middle can put you at risk for disease such as hypertension, colon cancer, coronary heart disease and diabetes. Your body's shape-a piece of fruit, a geometric shape or even an hourglass-can be an indication of overall health.
Body fat on your arms is the same as what's around your middle, but where you carry excess weight can make a big difference in terms of health risks. Some fat is easier to lose, too.
Begin by measuring your waist in inches or centimetres. Stand with your abdominal muscles relaxed. Breathe out and wrap the measuring tape around your natural waist, which is just above your bellybutton near the bottom of your rib cage. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement, which should be taken at the largest part of the bum.
Health guidelines suggest you're at moderate risk as a woman if you're ratio is above 0.81 and at higher risk at a ratio of 0.85 or above. In men, moderate risk is a ratio of 0.96 and high risk is a ratio of 1.0 or more.
Regardless of shape, is your middle too big? Men increase their health risks if their waist measures more than 37 inches (94 cm). In women, 31.5 inches (80 cm) puts them at greater risk.
. Are you younger than you think? The RealAge calculator (realage.com) is a patented series of questions that estimates the biological age of your body-your "real age" compared to the age listed on your birth certificate. The questions assess your medical and family history and then help evaluate aspects of your lifestyle.
. What is your life expectancy estimate? A variety of online calculators similar to RealAge are available, all with the goal of estimating your life expectancy. When using each calculator, complete a questionnaire that probes your current and past medical history and assesses your lifestyle.
. How much food is enough? A person's basic metabolic rate is the rate at which his or her body burns calories. Use the online calculator at bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/.
Christine Blanchette is a competitive runner with a passion for fitness, health and putting one foot in front of the other. Contact her at blanchec1@yahoo.ca.
