If you have just 30 minutes of spare time during your day, you can use it to better your health. Even if you have to skip your favorite TV show, it’ll be worth it!  A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that incorporating 30 minutes of walking into your day can have unbelievable benefits.  They found it was enough to prevent weight gain (and who doesn’t want to prevent weight gain?) and can help encourage moderate weight loss. I can vouch for this too!

Back in the Fall of 2006, I was finishing my last semester of college student teaching in a 2nd grade classroom. It was definitely one of the most challenging times of my life and a time where I had hardly enough energy to come home and cook dinner, let alone go back out to go to the gym.  My husband and I had already gotten into the habit of taking a daily walk previous to my student teaching, and so we continued to take our walks while I was teaching. Not only did walking help calm my mind and give us a chance to talk about what went on during the day, but my husband was able to maintain his weight and I was able to drop a few pounds over 5 months.

If you really don’t have 30 minutes to give up, don’t worry, a brisk 10 minute walk can be quite effective as well. Helene Glassberg, MD says, “Just the act of going from sedentary to moderately active gives you the greatest reduction in your risks.” Take baby steps! Start incorporating just 10 minutes of activity, and when you have more time, up that time to 20 or 30 minutes. At the same time, remember to take baby steps at the dinner table to eliminate fats or unhealthy foods that your body could do without.

Source: WebMD

We all have to run errands every week whether it be to the grocery store, the post office, Target, Wal-Mart, or anywhere else.  There are always places to go and things that need to get done! If you’re having a hard time getting some activity incorporated into your day, try “Errand Energizers” - simple ways to keep active while you’re doing your errands.  Today’s tips come from The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book by Joan Price and Lawrence Kassman.  It’s a great little book with 300+ quick exercises that you can do no matter where you are or what you’re doing! You can find it at most book stores for anywhere between $5 and $15 dollars.

–Errand Energizers–

• Park and Walk - You’ve heard this one before, I’m sure.  Don’t waste your time making laps around the parking lot looking for the closest spot. Park as far away from the store as possible and you’ll get a nice walk both to the store and back to your car.  You can even pick up the pace a bit for a brisk walk.
• Tighten those abs - Give your abs a workout as you walk around the store. Joan Price’s suggestion is this: “Do isometric abdominal intervals anytime, anywhere you stand or sit.  Contract your abs six times slowly (6 second repetition), then six times quickly (2- second rep), then six time super-slowly (10 second rep), and repeat.
• Squeeze those cheeks - Just like you can tighten those abs, you can also tighten your butt! While you’re standing in line somewhere, or sitting waiting for an appointment, squeeze your cheeks repeatedly (of course if no one is watching!).
• Ditch the drive-thru - I’m not talking about drive-thru windows at fast food restaurants because those should largely be avoided no matter what. I’m talking about the drive-thru at the bank. Instead of pulling up to the window to do your banking, park the car and walk inside to burn a few calories.
• Mall Milers - I remember my first trip to Mall of America in Minnesota where I saw groups of women briskly walking the hallways. I thought it was a great idea, only to realize that this was an actual group called Mall Milers! Many malls have such programs, and in the winter months, this is the perfect way to get your walking in.

Eating right and exercising doesn’t have to be hard! There are so many simple things that we can do that may seem small, but every change for the better helps!! Here are a few diet and exercise tips that are easy to do, and should be very simple to incorporate into your lifestyle:

Diet Tips

• Pass on the dinner roll or bread when you eat out
• If you must eat fries, get the small order instead of the large
• Hold the cheese on your sandwich and opt for extra veggies
• Use one tablespoon of peanut butter instead of two

Exercise Tips

• Take your dog for a 30 minute walk instead of letting him out in the backyard
• Do an extra 25 minutes of cardio exercise one day a week
• Climb stairs in your house or lift dumbbells during the commercials of your favorite TV show.
• Add five minutes of jogging during your walk

And remember “Good and bad things happen in life, but what matters, what defines us, is how we handle them.” If you’ve labeled your struggle to lose weight and get healthy as a “bad thing” in your life, think about how you’re handling the struggle and what you’re doing to turn that “bad” thing into a “good” thing. A positive “I can do it” attitude can make all the difference!

There are SO many health benefits of walking. It’s good for the mind, body, and spirit, and helps you feel good. Not only that, but it can also help you out while you’re on your weight loss journey. Even when I’m not able to go to the gym, I still manage to get a walk in each evening which helps me maintain my weight, and I also find that it even helps me sleep better. Walking is probably the easiest form of exercise you could do because it doesn’t take any special equipment, and you can do it just about anywhere you go.

Today we’re going to talk about some of the benefits of walking, but also tips for making your walking experience that much better.

First, the benefits - they truly are amazing:

1. Walking reduces body fat
2. Lowers resting pulse rate
3. Reduces blood cholesterol
4. Reduces blood pressure
5. Increases metabolism - thus helping you to lose weight
6. Increases flexibility and tones muscles
7. Reduces stress
8. Improves problem-solving
9. Improves self-esteem
10. Maintains bone density

–Walking Tips - Make your walk better!–

• Walking Shoes - Buy a pair of comfy walking shoes, you’ll need them!
• Walk with a friend - Find someone that you can walk with - either a friend, family member, or a walking group in your community
• Incorporate walking everywhere - Instead of fighting for that close parking spot, park farther away and walk
• Get those arms movin’ - When you walk, get those arms moving. Elbows should be bent at a 90 degree angle, and they should move with each step you take
• Solve your problems - If you ever feel stressed or have a lot on your mind, take a walk to think things through and sort things out
• Get a pedometer - Count your steps and try to take about 130 steps each minute for a great workout

Sources: MSN Health, UMICH