The complete guide to walking for health, weight loss, and fitness

Introduction pt. I. For the health of it : building a daily habit 1. Don't I already know how to do this? Trust walking Quiz I. Kick off your walking Do I need special shoes? Anatomy of your first walk Focus on your walking time Go slow-fast-slow Five walking warm-up moves 2. Why walking must be the answer George Carlin and the Surgeon General What is walking good for? Heart health Preventing osteoporosis Managing diabetes A week in the life : Carol Thompson, walking away from diabetes Weighty matters Cancer count Emotional well-being Ditch the scale Record your metabolic fitness Get moving every day Begin at the base The activity pyramid Is 30 minutes a day enough? Walking program. Weeks 1 to 8 3. Making it seem easy It's all about motivation Bite off less than you can chew A week in the life : Mel Smagorinsky, a walker before it was cool Take your time adding time Don't let a stumble become a fall Keep it fun Quiz II. Match your style The tricks of the trade, from flexible to structured Count steps using a pedometer Substitute active for inactive time Break it up Spread the word Map out opportunities Log it Lock it in Join the team Set a goal The gift that keeps giving 4. Building a body for walking Is walking enough? A simple stretching routine Four-minute after-walking stretch routine Building core strength Three-move core strength routine Walking program. Weeks 9 to 16 5. Gearing up to get walking You've got the gear to go The bottom layer : closest to your skin The middle layer : shirts and pants The outer layer How about a hat? Gloves Socks Walking with children Safety tips for walking with children Front carriers : when they're small All-terrain strollers : worth the price Backpacks : big enough to take it all in Gear for indoors : the treadmill option Trying a treadmill Treadmill workout ideas : whatever it takes Great treadmill workouts in 30 minutes or less Selecting a treadmill

Pt. II. Walking for weight loss : cranking up the metabolism and the miles 6.Weight loss : the great American obsession Quiz III. Setting your sights on something Diane and Edna : a weight-loss story Diet and exercise are the key Why weight matters The bathroom-sink theory (and the first law of thermodynamics) Storing extra energy Is the sink too simple? Are you fat-savvy? 1) Is burning fat the key to weight loss? 2) Does running always bum a lot more calories than walking? 3) Does muscle turn to fat when you stop exercising? 4) If you're active enough, can you eat anything? 5) Does a high-protein diet make you bum more fat and lose weight? 7. Making food work for you Five rules for healthier eating 1) Drink more water all the time 2) Eat lots more fruits and vegetables 3) Search out whole grains and fiber 4) Eat fewer bad fats and more good ones 5) Get more functional foods in your diet Walking program. Weeks 17 to 24 8. Burn more calories : longer, stronger, and faster Moving up the pyramid A Week in the Life : Kristen Trebeche, the ultimate foot commuter Shorter and faster versus longer and slower The secret weapon : picking up the pace Walking faster : more calories, less time Quick steps are the key Figure out how fast you walk Figure out how many calories you burn 9. Going Longer : on the trail of weight loss Let your walks take you there Prepping your body for off-road Walk longer a bit at a time Treadmill workouts for the trail Two exercises to protect your knees and ankles Gearing up to go on the trail Layering it on Walking program. Weeks 25 to 32 10. Getting stronger Weight lifting for men and women Weights work at any age A better build in 20 minutes a day Upper-body routine Lower-body routine Toys to boost the burn? Hand weights Poling to fitness : Nordic walking Weight vests My verdict on walking toys 11. Going faster : shoes matter Faster feet need faster footwear Why not a running shoe? The twist 'em, bend 'em, poke 'em shoe tests Is it the same for hiking boots?

Pt. III. Getting fit : building speed and strength 12.Finding the athlete within What the experts recommend Why seek variety, too? You can have it all Breathing hard is good for you Check your fitness to start Quiz IV. At-home fitness quiz Subjective questions Fitness tests 13. Technique for building speed It still starts with posture Walk as tall as you can As fast as your feet can go Fast arms make fast feet Pushing off for power Improving technique on the treadmill Five common technique errors and how to fix them Error 1. Looking for spare change Error 2. Goose-stepping Error 3. Chicken wings Error 4. Shelf-butt Error 5. Boxing A week in the Life : Laney Hixon, preaching what she practices Walking program. Weeks 33 to 40 14. Workouts to build your speed Making haste patiently Walking efficiently Intervals : faster in little bits Got an hour? Get in shape Your heart doesn't lie Using a heart-rate monitor Picking a monitor My verdict on heart-rate monitors 15. Total fitness : weights and cross-training Building a harder body Lift right (then left) The total-body routine Building total fitness Endurance Speed Strength Flexibility Balance and coordination Pick your cross-training Have fun with cross-training A week in the life : Amy Dawson, Karen McCann, and Kimberly Kent, rookie marathoners Walking program. Weeks 41 to 48 16. The thrill of victory : walking in an event Even if you're not type-A Volksmarches Fund-raising walks Running races Racewalking events Multiday events Walking in your first event A week in the life : Joanne Dow, unexpected racewalker 17. Racewalking : your quickest route to fitness Have you ever seen an overweight racewalker? Two rules to walk It's easier than you think and worth the effort You already know how to racewalk It's not a shimmy, it's drive Your best bet for an Olympic uniform

Pt. IV. Walking for a lifetime

18. Keeping an active body in working order

Avoiding the most common injuries : it starts with prevention

Dos

Don'ts

Taking care of the big three : shins, knees, and back

An ounce (and 15 minutes) of prevention

But what if you do get hurt?

Ice works wonders

An example of the full treatment : plantar fasciitis

Walking program. Weeks 49 to 52

19. Building your own program

What next?

Step 1. Buy a calendar or logbook

Step 2. Pick a goal

Step 3. Memorize these rules

Step 4. Plan in weekly variety

Step 5. Get walking, and log it

Two special programs

The 18-week marathon training program

Eighteen months of walking through pregnancy

20. The real key to a life of health and well-being

Don't walk for exercise

Movement is in your nature

put it in your routine

Creating a more walkable world

Get them walking at home

Get them walking at work

Ten ways to spend your day off

Resources

Index to walk talks

Index .