That's Fit

You want the physical and mental challenge of a marathon, but you aren't a runner... what do you do? You walk. Though marathons are traditionally a runner's race, organizers are seeing more and more walkers enter the race. And why not? Walking, after all, is great exercise, and experts say that training to walk a marathon can take up to five months of progressive workouts.

Not being a runner myself, I'm not sure how hard-core racers feel about this trend, but I think it's terrific. Walking is the ultimate in accessible workouts. There's no equipment necessary, and walkers can hit the pavement at nearly any fitness level. An important part of any fitness routine is having short and long-term goals, and preparing to walk a marathon would be a great motivator.

As this article points out, walkers need to prepare differently for a marathon than runners. They're out on the course much longer, and their nutritional and hydration needs will be affected by that. So if you decide to walk a marathon, don't hit up your runner friends for advice, find someone who's done it before or hit the web for advice on how to tackle this challenge safely.

One of my goals this spring and summer is to drastically reduce the number of times we drive to where we're going. Most days of the week, everything we need is in walking distance. My kids are big enough now to hoof it for longer periods, and there's always the bike trailer for destinations that are farther away. My hope is that not only will we all build up our fitness levels, my daughters will also learn that they don't need to jump in the car every time they need something. There's going to be an adjustment period, but I have a feeling they'll adjust far sooner than I do!

Finding time to get the recommended 30-minutes (minimum) of physical activity per day isn't always easy, but if your situation allows it, travel time is a great way to sneak it in. Whether you choose to walk or to bike, getting to and from work or other locations within your city under your own power will definitely contribute to that physical activity goal. If you usually take the bus or the subway, consider getting off before your stop and walking the rest of the way. If you live a little farther from work, map out a path and take your bike. Not only will you shape up, you may find yourself with more energy during the work day!

A recent University of Georgia study determined that low-intensity exercise can reduce fatigue and increase energy. What? What's that you say? You say you already knew that? Uh... me too. Where this recent study differed was that, instead of studying patients with cancer or other fatigue-inducing illnesses, they studied regular (but tired) Joes. Researchers say that about 25% of the population is fatigued, yet doesn't meet a clinical diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

The study participants were broken into three groups. The first exercised at a moderate level, the second exercised at a low intensity, and the third didn't exercise at all. Both the low and moderate exercise groups saw an improvement in their energy, but the low-intensity exercise group saw the most improvement in the fatigue symptoms. In fact, they saw a 65% reduction in fatigue.

Did you miss your workout today? Or is it just too cold to go out for a walk or a run? You can still squeeze in some physical activity, you just have to be a little creative. Exercise doesn't have to happen in a gym, nor does it have to involve expensive props or even workout gear. As long as you can get that heart rate up, you're burning calories. So if you're stuck inside but still want to get moving, try some of these ideas:

• Run up and down your staircase.
• Sit down and stand up repeatedly during commercial breaks.
• Give your child a piggy-back ride and do lunges.
• Do jumping jacks.
• Jump rope (if you don't have a downstairs neighbor).
• Do push-ups -- try doing them against the wall if you're just getting started.
• Pull out an old fitness DVD or video.
• Turn on the music and dance.

Don't let excuses get in between you and your workout. Just get moving -- you'll be so glad that you did!

If you're trying to lose weight and the "quick-fix" diets just haven't brought you success, here's a very moderate and sensible method to take the weight off.

The author says that if you really want weight loss to be "painless," then start by cutting just 50 calories per meal. Take the bacon off your hamburger, put 1/2 as much cream cheese on your bagel, or trade in that bag of chips for an apple. At the end of the day, you'll have cut 150 calories. At the end of the week, you'll have cut a little over 1000. If you burn another 100 calories per day through moderate exercise -- a 30 minute walk or similar activity -- you'll have lost a half a pound. Want to speed the process up? Try cutting 100 calories at each meal instead.

I think this is great advice for those who don't mind taking a little longer to lose their weight. It's not so much a diet at it is reteaching yourself about portion sizes. I also think that it's a gradual way to learn good food choices, rather than trying to make major changes to your lifestyle all at once. I bet that in the long haul, someone who loses weight this way keeps it off for good. It's not mentioned in the article, but before you can begin cutting calories it might be a good idea to know exactly how many calories your eating at each meal and throughout the day. Journaling your food for just three days can give you a good grasp on your daily intake.