12 Weeks to a Healthier You - Week 02
Introduction | Week 01 | Week 03 | Week 04 | Week 05 | Week 06
Week 07 | Week 08 | Week 09 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12
Week 07 | Week 08 | Week 09 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12
Welcome to week two! So, how are you liking the water so far?! You may not be seeing a huge difference just yet (although, if you are, that is great!), but just keep with it. Just like with any lasting change, it takes time.
This week we are going to focus on adding a little more walking to your routine. All too often I see people start a program and begin jogging (or even running) right away. Jogging and running are both wonderful methods of burning energy, shedding pounds, and shredding up, but they are also a lot harder on your joints -- especially if you are starting your program at a body mass index (BMI) that is over the average for your height (traditionally, this is who I see jumping right into running).
It takes time to strengthen your joints into being able to support the shock and jolts of jogging or running and by jumping directly into a routine that goes into either will almost always cause unneeded wear and tear on your knees and ankles -- even if your form is perfect!
So, let's get into some science! First, let's determine your frame size! The simplest (and most common way) to find out is by measuring one of your wrists. The most accurate way to measure your wrist is by using a flexible measuring tape (such as one used for sewing). However, I have seen people use tape measures with fair results. An alternative, albeit less accurate way (but good in a pinch), way is to put charcoal or any substance that will transfer easily to paper (and wash off fairly easily) onto your wrist in a straight line all the way around your wrist, then press a piece of paper around your wrist and press down. The result will be a straight line on the paper that you can easily measure with a ruler or tape measure.
After this, use the chart below to determine your frame size (many people are surprised by their results):
This week we are going to focus on adding a little more walking to your routine. All too often I see people start a program and begin jogging (or even running) right away. Jogging and running are both wonderful methods of burning energy, shedding pounds, and shredding up, but they are also a lot harder on your joints -- especially if you are starting your program at a body mass index (BMI) that is over the average for your height (traditionally, this is who I see jumping right into running).
It takes time to strengthen your joints into being able to support the shock and jolts of jogging or running and by jumping directly into a routine that goes into either will almost always cause unneeded wear and tear on your knees and ankles -- even if your form is perfect!
So, let's get into some science! First, let's determine your frame size! The simplest (and most common way) to find out is by measuring one of your wrists. The most accurate way to measure your wrist is by using a flexible measuring tape (such as one used for sewing). However, I have seen people use tape measures with fair results. An alternative, albeit less accurate way (but good in a pinch), way is to put charcoal or any substance that will transfer easily to paper (and wash off fairly easily) onto your wrist in a straight line all the way around your wrist, then press a piece of paper around your wrist and press down. The result will be a straight line on the paper that you can easily measure with a ruler or tape measure.
After this, use the chart below to determine your frame size (many people are surprised by their results):
It is important to know your body frame size because the universal BMI chart does not account for this, so healthy people with large frames will, at times, appear overweight when they are not and people with small frames will, at times, appear drastically underweight when they are not and so on. I have found that it is good to know your frame size so that we will know about what we can expect to see on the BMI chart. It is important not to become discouraged if you, because of your frame, do not fit the exact weights of the BMI chart. The BMI chart is a universal chart and is pretty much a low average and is to be used only as a guideline, not a definite, unchangeable, unerring, perfect rule.
With that said, let's check your BMI (body mass index)! Please use the chart below to see where you fall:
With that said, let's check your BMI (body mass index)! Please use the chart below to see where you fall:
Now that we have that all nice and squared away, let's move on to the action portion of this week -- walking!
If you have the means, I suggest acquiring a pedometer -- a cheap one is fine. If you are able to get a pedometer, where it around for a day and see how many steps you are taking during an average day. According to the New York Times, the average American male takes about 5,340 steps a day and that the average American woman takes about 4,912. That puts the average American (male or female) right at "sedentary" status according to the University of Tennessee's David R. Bassett Jr. (cited in the same article). This is a fairly major problem, especially when considering how many calories we consume on a daily basis (we will talk about portion control next week).
According to most leading health experts, you should be walking 10,000 + steps a day (around five miles) for optimal health. Of course, I suggest walking outside in the fresh air and sunshine, but I know that not everyone has a nice or even safe place to walk all the time. If you do not have a safe place to walk, if the weather is rough, or if you just aren't an out-of-doors kind-of person, I suggest walking in place while watching television, cooking, or doing other daily chores. If you have a desk job, move your legs in a walking-like manner while sitting at your desk, trade out your chair for a swiss ball (make sure it is the proper size for your height and inflated properly), or flex any where that you would like to lose any access fat while sitting down (or even in the car -- I personally do crunches in the car). In fact, do all of these, if you feel comfortable with them!
Be creative, get those calories burning, but be nice to your joints. Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk (that was one walk for every mile, by the way). Enjoy life! Make walking a game or a challenge! Gradually try to increase your walking this week. Say that you walk 4,000 steps on Sunday, try to increase it to 5,000 on Monday, 6,000 on Tuesday, 7,000 on Wednesday, 8,000 on Thursday, and 9,000 on Friday. Next week, you will be walking 10,000 steps (five miles!) a day!
If you have the means, I suggest acquiring a pedometer -- a cheap one is fine. If you are able to get a pedometer, where it around for a day and see how many steps you are taking during an average day. According to the New York Times, the average American male takes about 5,340 steps a day and that the average American woman takes about 4,912. That puts the average American (male or female) right at "sedentary" status according to the University of Tennessee's David R. Bassett Jr. (cited in the same article). This is a fairly major problem, especially when considering how many calories we consume on a daily basis (we will talk about portion control next week).
According to most leading health experts, you should be walking 10,000 + steps a day (around five miles) for optimal health. Of course, I suggest walking outside in the fresh air and sunshine, but I know that not everyone has a nice or even safe place to walk all the time. If you do not have a safe place to walk, if the weather is rough, or if you just aren't an out-of-doors kind-of person, I suggest walking in place while watching television, cooking, or doing other daily chores. If you have a desk job, move your legs in a walking-like manner while sitting at your desk, trade out your chair for a swiss ball (make sure it is the proper size for your height and inflated properly), or flex any where that you would like to lose any access fat while sitting down (or even in the car -- I personally do crunches in the car). In fact, do all of these, if you feel comfortable with them!
Be creative, get those calories burning, but be nice to your joints. Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk (that was one walk for every mile, by the way). Enjoy life! Make walking a game or a challenge! Gradually try to increase your walking this week. Say that you walk 4,000 steps on Sunday, try to increase it to 5,000 on Monday, 6,000 on Tuesday, 7,000 on Wednesday, 8,000 on Thursday, and 9,000 on Friday. Next week, you will be walking 10,000 steps (five miles!) a day!
