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Wisdom for Walkers
Even the most committed walkers will admit that, sometimes, putting one foot in front of the other can get a little boring, especially if you're covering the same old route or the same old piece of treadmill rubber day after day. Never fear -- boredom relief is here.1. Assault your senses. You can't possibly get bored on the treadmill when you're watching the news on TV, talking to your mother on the phone, or reading a magazine or two. Need extra stimulation? Do all three at once.
2. Stalk your dream house. Walk the most beautiful neighborhoods and ogle the architecture. Then decide which house you'll buy if you win the lottery.
3. Inspire yourself. "I have my clients make their own tapes," says Tim Culwell, a fitness professional in Denver. "Tape a self-affirming talk to yourself about things you want to improve in your life. Your subconscious will listen better to your own voice."
4. Have a destination. When you're going somewhere special -- a friend's house, a favorite shop, or a fruit stand -- you'll have more fun getting there.
5. Monitor your heart. "Heart-rate monitors are coming on stronger -- many people really love to see changes in the numbers," says Ruth Stricker, owner of The Marsh, a trendsetting health club in Minnesota that sponsors a walking program. Watching your numbers improve is fun -- and powerful motivation to keep walking.
6. Plan your reading. "I save those long articles in The New Yorker for my treadmill sessions," says Gabrielle Buckley, 38, an avid Southern California walker. "A good long one takes me about 45 minutes to read, which is perfect for the treadmill."
7. Practice the relaxation response. Harvard's Herbert Benson, M.D., author of Timeless Healing (Simon & Schuster, 1997), has proved that the relaxation response significantly reduces symptoms of physical stress, including high blood pressure. "While walking, focus on a repetition. If you're spiritual, repeat a prayer while you're walking," he advises. "If you're not, repeat something else, or focus on your footfalls."
8. Listen to music. "There's no question that listening to music can help an exerciser," says Jack A. Taylor, Ph.D., director of the Center for Music Research at Florida State University in Tallahassee. "It keeps a steady beat going, and the research clearly shows that music puts your mind into a mild state of euphoria."
9. Customize your music. "I keep a notepad in my car and write down songs I like, ones that have a good beat for walking," says Buckley. "When my list gets to 12, a guy at my gym makes a tape for me."
10. Monitor your legs. Clip on a pedometer, and watch how quickly the miles add up.
11. Exercise your wallet as well as your body. Join a mall-walking club and window-shop while you walk. Then reward a good workout with a small purchase.
12. Vary your routes. "We have all kinds of routes," says Linda Fitzgerald, an exercise physiologist who leads a YMCA walking group in Palo Alto, Calif. "We have shady routes for hot days and sunny routes for cool days."
13. Join a walking club. "It's great for both the routes and the companionship," says Lynette Reagan, who belongs to the Baltimore Walking Club. Call 800-AVA-WALK for a club near you.
14. Count squirrels. Or seagulls. Or cats -- there are lots of them out there.
15. Find a walking pal. The commitment will get you out of the house; the talk makes the walk fun.
16. Learn a foreign language. Listen to language tapes as you walk.
17. Listen to books on tape. "You'll exercise your mind as well as your body," says Kevin Burns, a trainer at the Sweatshop in St. Paul, Minn. "My clients love it -- they 'read' dozens of books throughout the walking month."
3. Inspire yourself. "I have my clients make their own tapes," says Tim Culwell, a fitness professional in Denver. "Tape a self-affirming talk to yourself about things you want to improve in your life. Your subconscious will listen better to your own voice."
4. Have a destination. When you're going somewhere special -- a friend's house, a favorite shop, or a fruit stand -- you'll have more fun getting there.
5. Monitor your heart. "Heart-rate monitors are coming on stronger -- many people really love to see changes in the numbers," says Ruth Stricker, owner of The Marsh, a trendsetting health club in Minnesota that sponsors a walking program. Watching your numbers improve is fun -- and powerful motivation to keep walking.
6. Plan your reading. "I save those long articles in The New Yorker for my treadmill sessions," says Gabrielle Buckley, 38, an avid Southern California walker. "A good long one takes me about 45 minutes to read, which is perfect for the treadmill."
7. Practice the relaxation response. Harvard's Herbert Benson, M.D., author of Timeless Healing (Simon & Schuster, 1997), has proved that the relaxation response significantly reduces symptoms of physical stress, including high blood pressure. "While walking, focus on a repetition. If you're spiritual, repeat a prayer while you're walking," he advises. "If you're not, repeat something else, or focus on your footfalls."
8. Listen to music. "There's no question that listening to music can help an exerciser," says Jack A. Taylor, Ph.D., director of the Center for Music Research at Florida State University in Tallahassee. "It keeps a steady beat going, and the research clearly shows that music puts your mind into a mild state of euphoria."
9. Customize your music. "I keep a notepad in my car and write down songs I like, ones that have a good beat for walking," says Buckley. "When my list gets to 12, a guy at my gym makes a tape for me."
10. Monitor your legs. Clip on a pedometer, and watch how quickly the miles add up.
11. Exercise your wallet as well as your body. Join a mall-walking club and window-shop while you walk. Then reward a good workout with a small purchase.
12. Vary your routes. "We have all kinds of routes," says Linda Fitzgerald, an exercise physiologist who leads a YMCA walking group in Palo Alto, Calif. "We have shady routes for hot days and sunny routes for cool days."
13. Join a walking club. "It's great for both the routes and the companionship," says Lynette Reagan, who belongs to the Baltimore Walking Club. Call 800-AVA-WALK for a club near you.
14. Count squirrels. Or seagulls. Or cats -- there are lots of them out there.
15. Find a walking pal. The commitment will get you out of the house; the talk makes the walk fun.
16. Learn a foreign language. Listen to language tapes as you walk.
17. Listen to books on tape. "You'll exercise your mind as well as your body," says Kevin Burns, a trainer at the Sweatshop in St. Paul, Minn. "My clients love it -- they 'read' dozens of books throughout the walking month."
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