Walk Well

Walking is a great form of physical activity. It requires no special skills or equipment, and can be done year-round and in almost any location. Walking benefits you in the same ways as general physical activity (see the Move More page). In addition, walking is an ideal introduction to physical activity for people who are sedentary.

Tips on Walking:

Warm Up
Walk slowly for about 5 minutes, then pick up your pace.

Walk Tall
Head up, shoulders back, stomach in.
Focus on quicker, not longer steps.
Breathe deeply.
Wear reflective clothes or carry a light.
Walk toward traffic.

Cool Down
In the last 5 minutes, slow your pace.
Finish with some flexibility stretches.

Important notes:
If you experience a problem that can not be relieved, see you doctor.
Do not use hand weights while walking; using them could increase your blood pressure and may contribute to joint problems.

Walking for Fitness

For health benefits, physical activity should be moderate or vigorous and add up to at least 30 minutes per day. Walking briskly is considered a moderate activity.
The walking program below will help you gradually increase the number of days you walk each week. Recording your progress in a walking log will help you stay motivated.

Help start a walking program at your school!
Follow the instructions in this Step-by-Step walking incentive campaign guidebook from The Wellness Councils of America to get everyone at your school walking!

Pedometers

What is a pedometer?
A pedometer is a device worn on the hip which counts the steps you take throughout the day. Pedometers are an easy way to help gauge how active you are every day.

You can track your activity over long periods of time by recording the number of steps you take each day in a pedometer logbook like this.

How does a pedometer work?
Pedometers use a pendulum to sense vertical movement at the hip. Pedometers are best for measuring walking activity, rather than running, biking or swimming.

How should you position the pedometer?
For most people the pedometer should be worn on the waistline directly above the knee. When you have the pedometer positioned, check its accuracy:

1. Reset the pedometer to zero by holding down the reset button.

2. Take 100 steps, then stop.

3. Check how many steps your pedometer counted. If the count is within 3 steps of 100, your pedometer is accurately positioned.

If not, try moving the pedometer to the outside of the body over the hip, and repeat the step test. Try different positions of the pedometer until you get an accurate reading. For some, the best place for the pedometer is on the waistline of the back. The pedometer must be positioned in the vertical plane to work properly, so for some people with body fat around the midsection, positioning the pedometer around the back of the waistline is the best choice.

Converting Steps to Miles
Many people like to know how their step count converts into miles. Here’s how to do it:

Calculate your step length:

1. Measure off 20 feet.

2. Walk the 20 foot distance at your natural walk while you count the number of steps it takes you to cover the distance.

3. Convert the distance to inches (20 feet X 12 inches/foot = 240 inches), and divide by the number of steps you took. If there is a remainder, round to the nearest whole number. This gives you your step length in inches.

To determine the number of miles you walked:

1. Find your step length on the chart below and the corresponding number of steps in one mile.

2. Divide the number of steps you took by the number of steps in one mile.
    

Example:

1. You walked 15 steps in 20 feet.

2. Divide 240 inches by 15 steps to get your step length of 16 inches.

3. The number of steps in one mile that corresponds with a step length of 16 inches is 3,960 steps.

4. Today you walked a total of 7,920 steps. Divide 7920 steps by 3,960 steps in a mile. You walked 2 miles.
   

Ways to Increase Your Steps:

• Walk on your breaks and lunch hour

• Park farther away from entrances

• Take a 3 minute walk every hour

• Deliver things to coworkers in person

• Take the stairs instead of the elevator

• Walk the perimeter of the field while your children play soccer

• Vacuum your house more often

• Pace while you’re on the phone

• Take several 10 minute walks

• Walk the dog
  

Ordering Pedometers
Healthy Staff for Healthy Schools has partnered with Walk4Life to bring you high quality, affordable pedometers. The pedometers can even be labeled with your school’s logo!

The pedometer offered is the Walk4Life Duo which tracks steps as well as activity time. The pedometer is available in a variety of colors: grey, blue, green, orange, pink, purple, red or yellow. While normally sold for $21.00, when ordered through Healthy Staff for Healthy Schools the pedometers are $8.95 each plus shipping.

Click here for information on how to order pedometers from Walk4Life.

PE Pack
Walk4Life also offers a “PE Pack” for teachers to enable you to integrate pedometers into your class curriculum. The kit provides tools, charts, posters and rewards to get students involved. Contact Walk4Life for more information.

Sources:
Morris JN, Hardman AE. Walking to health. Sports Medicine. 1997;23(5):306-332.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical Activity for Everyone. 2007. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/everyone.htm. Accessed July 27, 2007.
Walk4Life. Frequently Asked Questions. 2007. Available at: http://www.walk4life.com/faq/faq.aspx. Accessed July 27, 2007.