Warmer weather has finally arrived, and as I have said many times before – this is my time of year! I’m so happy to have some warmer weather so I can get outside without my nose running, my eyes watering, and my fingers and toes freezing! I know all of you are thinking it doesn’t even really get that cold in Little Rock, but I’m telling ya – it doesn’t take a whole lot for me!
One day last week, when the weather was warm and sunny, my son and I went for a hike. That wasn’t our original plan. Our original plan was to go to Petit Jean State Park and get some pictures. And we did get some great photos.
Anyway, in the course of getting these pictures, we decided to take the hike down to the Cedar Creek Falls. It’s not that long (famous last words), just 1¼ mile, but it is steep and rocky going down, so the return trip can stress your thighs and lungs if your fitness routine is lacking. At least it stressed MY legs and lungs. There were a few times when I reluctantly grabbed my son’s outstretched hand to get me up a few of the taller rocks on the way back up, but I swallowed my pride, and grabbed hold. (It was a good thing!)
I plan to do this hike again. That is, after I start my walking routine for the summer! He was just reading to me about a 12-mile hike on Petit Jean he’s considering. I excitedly said I would like to go, too, but then took it back just as quickly as I said it! Twelve miles! After he explained it would take him about 4-5 hours, I told him that maybe I’d better wait because I would definitely have to be spending the night out there on some rock!
All last summer, I walked a five-mile, quite hilly route almost every day. Experts say that walking every day cuts your risk of an early death by 50 to 70 percent. In a recent study involving a group of veterans, mortality rates were anywhere from 50 to 70 percent lower in the ones who were the fittest – regardless of whether they had underlying heart disease.
The thing to remember is “fitter the better.” So, I’ve started walking again. I started with just two miles, but have worked up to five. It’s best to start slow and work up. Here are some more tips to help you get more out of your walks:
Clock your baseline heart rate levels for comparison.
Walk in reverse. (Even though it looks strange!) Walking backward burns more calories, improves coordination, and gives your heart and lungs a better workout than walking forward –as long as you maintain your speed. It forces your leg muscles to work harder and in different ways.
Take a break at midpoint. The rate at which your body burns fuel might be boosted even higher if you break up a long cardio session into two back-to-back 30-minute sessions with a 15-20-minute break in between.
Improve your speed. Your gait speed is the speed you walk when you’re really trying. Faster walkers may be more resilient and able to bounce back better from a health crisis, which may explain why the zippy over-65 walkers have lower mortality rates. Try to keep your speed to at least 2.25 miles per hour for people 65 and older.