Walking

Serious distance walking usually doesn't go together with pretty feet - much to my husband's disappointment. But when there is a break in my half marathon schedule, I get a pedicure and paint my toenails - sometimes just to camouflage the black toenail I got on a long walk. Pampering your feet feels soooooo good! Best Ways to Pamper Your Feet

My feet have calluses in the right places, as the tougher skin helps prevent blisters on long walks. If you are training for a half marathon or marathon, don't remove your calluses! I have my pedicurist Regina trained right. I am incompetent at giving myself a home pedicure -- I end up with polish on the carpet, the couch, and even a little on my toenails. But for shorter-distance walkers, pretty toes are possible. Our Shoes Guide has nine ways to get beautiful feet and our Foot Health Guide has how to have prettier feet now.

Now that I have pretty toes, I can feel more confident in dress sandals and switching to my fitness walking sandals.

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

My buddy Terri raced her first half marathon last weekend. While I am a pure walker, she alternated running and walking. The run/walk technique has been popularized by Jeff Galloway. It has many benefits in training as well. The higher-intensity running intervals can help you build aerobic capacity and burn more calories. You can also get through your workouts and training days faster. On race day, it can ensure you make it to the finish line in the time limit allowed.

If you want to get started with the run/walk method, or ramp it up to longer races, use our Running Guide's great tutorials.

• How to Do the Run/Walk
• Run/Walk 5K Training Schedule
• Run/Walk 10K Training Schedule
• Run/Walk Half-Marathon Training Schedule
• Run/Walk Marathon Training Schedule

Timing your intervals for the run/walk may require an app or a gadget such as the Gymboss or a sports watch.

My pet peeve with run/walkers during the marathon is that they seem to use me as a goal target. Far too often, I have a couple or trio of run/walkers jog past me, cut in front and then slow to their slowwwwwwwwww walking pace in front of me, blocking me and forcing me to go around them to pass. If you start run/walking, please stay aware that the walker you just passed is still there!
Getting Started: From Walking to Running

I had a crowded wrist as I reviewed the latest wristband activity monitors. This new evolution of pedometer technology is made possible by sensors and algorithms that let you free up your waistband. All of them count your steps and estimate your calories burned and sync with a phone app, and some also sync with a computer/web site. But beyond that they vary quite a bit in what they track -- sleep, inactive time, workouts. Only the Nike+ FuelBand has numerical display and time of day so you don't need the phone or computer to know your numbers. And they also vary quite a bit in style and comfort.

Comparing Wristband Activity Monitor Pedometers: Jawbone UP, Nike+ FuelBand, Fitbit Flex, larklife

Have you tried one I haven't reviewed? Tell me about it and I'll see if I can fit more on the other wrist!
Rate and Review Your Pedometer/Activity Monitor

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner 2013
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer for two of these monitors. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

The Global Corporate Challenge kicks off May 23rd for its yearly 16-week virtual walking journey around the world. It's a fun pedometer-based workplace wellness program that has been offered by thousands of companies worldwide. The program comes from the charmingly-named company Get The World Moving, Limited. It turns logging 10,000 steps per day into a team-based game. I spoke to last year's winning team captain at Sage North America, Steven Reid, who lost 20 pounds while leading his team to a healthy victory.
More: Global Corporate Challenge

Have you participated in a pedometer-based workplace wellness program? At Sage, they noticed that more people continued to take a lunchtime walk after the program ended. The team-based approach really improved workplace morale and interaction. It sounds like a great way to encourage employees to sit less and move more, reducing the health risks of sitting too much.

Photo © Get the World Moving Limited

Fitbit just started shipping orders for its Fitbit Flex activity monitor wristband. I've worn every model of Fitbit since they debuted, so I was excited to get a sample to review. My wrist is a bit crowded as I won't give up my Nike+ Fuelband, and I wear the Jawbone UP at work with the Idle Alert set to vibrate when I've been sitting too long. Nonetheless, I abandoned my Fitbit One temporarily to try out the Fitbit Flex. My verdict -- pretty good, but my wrist belongs to the FuelBand. While the 5-light display gives you an indication of how you are doing, I still like having the numbers to view without going to the phone app or web dashboard.
Review: Fitbit Flex.

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner 2013
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

Sitting in the new smoking. That's a slogan you'll be hearing more and more often as studies show that sitting increases your health risks. But when my head is deep in my screen-time work, I lose track of how long I've been sitting. Luckily, there are apps and activity monitors designed to alert you or make you more aware of how long you have been inactive. I've been wearing a Jawbone UP, which I have set to vibrate after 30 minutes of low activity. I also tried out the Move More app last week, which you use to track sitting, standing, moving, exercising and sleeping.
Apps and Activity Monitors that Track Sitting Time

Do you have an app or know of an activity monitor that can alert you when you've been sitting too long? I'd love to review it and add it to the list.
Tell us about your favorite walking app

Screen shot of Move More App - Wendy Bumgardner

Call it Big Brother, call it coercive, call it a creative incentive. Blue Care Network offered a discount on their health insurance to obese clients who complied with either a pedometer program or Weight Watchers. Of the 6458 who chose the WalkingSpree internet-linked pedometer program, 97% achieved an average of 5000 steps per day.

The financial incentive to reach the goal was as high as $2000 per year for a family. That's a steep price to pay in losing a discount because you couldn't achieve a step count that is considered to be low-active, just above the sedentary level. Those with medical conditions could get a waiver from their doctor to be exempt from the requirement.
How many steps per day are enough?

A survey of the participants found that 2/3 of them like the incentive, while the other third hated being coerced, even though they were able to meet the requirement. The study didn't evaluate the effects on the weight or health of those enrolled, just whether they achieved the average 5000 steps per day goal.

What do you think of giving discounts for monitored health efforts? Many of us willingly track our steps per day with apps or computer-linked pedometers. It's a different equation when you are required to do it, or feel that your insurer or employer is tracking you. The study authors note that the Affordable Health Care Act will encourage more employer and insurer wellness programs.

Bottom line: Bribery works. This study concludes that incentivized programs such as this internet-mediated walking programs are a promising intervention in engaging obese adults in physical activity.

What does 5000 steps look like? It's  only 2.5 walking minutes for every waking hour, about 40 minutes of walking spread out throughout the day. If you have a desk job or sit most of the day, adding in 2000 more steps with some simple changes throughout the day, walking the dog, or enjoying a dedicated walk on your break will get you there easily.

Photo © Walk4Life

_{Source:
Donna M Zulman MD, MS, Laura J. Damschroder MS, MPH, Ryan G Smith BA, Paul J. Resnick PhD, Ananda Sen PhD, Erin L Krupka PhD, Caroline R Richardson MD. "Implementation and evaluation of an incentivized Internet-mediated walking program for obese adults," Translational Behavioral Medicine, Doi: 10.1007/s13142-013-0211-6.}

It's Get Walking Week in Britain. The Ramblers are coordinating hundreds of short walks to encourage Brits to get active this week of May 4-11. Just in time, as their online survey shows that one out of four people in Britain walk for an hour a week or less, and 43% walk for less than two hours a week. That leaves far fewer meeting the recommendation of getting 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity per week to reduce their health risks.

May 8 is also the IVV's annual World Walking Day. Walking clubs around the world offer walks to get you started. I've been an IVV walker since 1984. Here's how to find and enjoy an IVV walk. Are you ready?

However you choose to get started walking, the most important thing is to just get up and get moving. Find a place to walk or a walking event, now! Walk Finder by State

A six-part City Walk series spotlighting walkable cities debuts nationally in the US on LinkTV on May 9, 2013. Episodes are also available to view online. Episode 1 features walking in New York, Washington DC, Pasadena and Boulder. They include great places to walk and innovations those cities have made to create a pleasant walking environment. They also have fun interviews with people telling why they don't walk, and vintage clips. Further episodes will air June 6, July 4, August 1, August 29 and October 3. Dates may fluctuate, so check the LinkTV web site for updates and new online episodes. LinkTV can be found on Direct TV 375 and Dish Network 9410.
More: Top Walkable Cities

Do you just feel like you've hit a wall and it's stopped your efforts to get fit, lose weight, or train for that big half marathon or marathon? There are so many obstacles that can keep us from getting started or stop us cold. After listening to my boss practically sing a love song to her robotic vacuum, I realized we could all learn a lot from Roomba. It's tenacious. It doesn't let failure stop it. It keeps trying new directions when it comes up against an obstacle. And by the end of the day, it has succeeded! There is no straight path to your goals, you need to not let failures stop you.
More: What Would Roomba Do? Succeeding at Fitness Failures

About half of Americans get enough moderate intensity aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, each week. But only a third do enough muscle-strengthening exercise. Put those together and only 20% meet both as recommended in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, according to a phone survey of almost half a million Americans by the US Centers for Disease Control in 2011.

The recommendations aren't all that challenging. You only need 30 minutes a day of brisk walking, five days per week, and you can break that up into sessions of 10 minutes or more. If you enjoy running or other vigorous intensity exercise, you need even less, just an hour and 15 minutes per week.

Maximize Your 15-Minute Walk
Maximize Your Lunch Time Walk

I admit that, as a walker, I have no problem doing the walking, but I often don't do the muscle-strengthening exercise. Are you like me? Isn't it time to make sure we get our muscle strengthening done? Here are some fun ways to do it:

Dumbbell Workout for the Arms and Shoulders
Stretch Band Exercises
Video: Kettlebell Exercises

_{Source: "Adult Participation in Aerobic and Muscle-Strengthening Physical Activities -- United States, 2011" Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) May 3, 2013 / 62(17);326-330.}

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

I am quite a skeptic for new lines of walking shoes. Last year I got a sample of Prospecs 400 series of walking shoes from South Korea. Prospecs is a popular brand there and have been making shoes since 1981. They planned to bring their new line of Prospecs Power Walk shoes to the US. They have a bit of a gimmick, with a Move Grid in the sole. But unlike all of the toning shoes I'd been trying, this gimmick actually seemed to work well for fitness walking.

Prospecs garnered a big batch of nominations for our Reader's Choice Awards and earned a spot on the finalist list. Then they leveraged their social media to get out the vote and won for Best Fitness Walking Shoe 2013.

They sent me a sample of their lighter-weight model, the 600 series in a snazzy electric blue that I love. Again, the shoes were excellent walking shoes with good construction and pleasing performance. I wish them well on their debut in the US.
Review: Prospecs Power Walk Shoes

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

I don't know whether the shoe salesman was unclear or I wasn't listening, but on my trip to a local shoe store in March I found myself being custom-fitted for an insole without having requested it. I thought I was just getting a gait analysis and footmapping. But suddenly he was heating up the Footbalance MAX insole and having me step on it with heel pressure, then toe pressure, then pressing into the arch. I thought it was a lot to have done for something I might not want to buy, especially when the final price for them was over $50.

In the end, this was a happy misunderstanding. I felt like Cinderella as every shoe I tried on with the Footbalance insole felt like a perfect fit. But the real test is in wearing them. It might be coincidence that I took 15 minutes off my half marathon time in my race two weeks later. When I was just as speedy four weeks after that, I had to give the insoles some credit. I have far less foot and leg fatigue during and after long distance walking.
Review: Footbalance Insoles

Do you have a favorite insole?

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner 2013

Portland Marathon race director Les Smith reported a huge surge in registrations immediately following the Boston Marathon bombing. Runners and walkers wanted to show their support for their race community. His event was voted our Readers' Choice Walker-Friendly Marathon last year. Marathons and half marathons are not just for runners.

Before You Register for a Marathon Walk
Marathon Walk Training - Step By Step
Half-Marathon Walk Training

If you want to walk for a charity but would prefer a smaller group event, take a look at A Walk Around the World. You get to choose the charity and then enjoy a challenging three day walk around the Walt Disney World resort in Florida. The routes will be about 10 miles each day. I went with this group on their France 2011 charity walk and it was simply the best.

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

If a fast food menu lists how many brisk walking minutes it would take to burn off each item, do people order and eat less? A study of young adults found that listing the walking minutes resulted in both ordering fewer calories and eating fewer calories in that meal compared to a menu with no calorie or walking information. A menu with only a calorie listing had an insignificant effect compared to the walking minutes menu and the menu without any such info.

Walking Minutes Calorie Calculator: see how many calories you burn off. The number actually depends on your weight, as well as how far you walk per minute. The researchers had to choose an average number in order to post the information. It would not be accurate for a 100-pound cheerleader compared to a 300-pound football lineman.

But at least it is a concrete example, using an activity most people can do and relating that to the calories in food. That is something non-dieting people can relate to. The numbers are significant. It can take you hours of walking to burn off a large milkshake or a jumbo order of fries. Knowing that is enough to have you choose something else or skip them this time.

A previous study of walking minutes on menus wasn't a real-world experiment, but had subjects choose from web-based menus. In that experiment, people mock-ordered less if they saw the walking minutes needed. But that might not be what they do when really ordering a meal, which is what this new experiment measured.

I only have continued success in weight loss when I keep a food diary, such as with our Calorie Count site and phone app. With it and similar apps, you can also track your exercise calories burned and balance them against the food you eat. This app and others like it include fast food and chain restaurant menu items, as well as brand name foods and unprocessed foods found in grocery stores.

As governments look for ways to help citizens combat obesity, it would be good to know what really works before making new laws. When I visited New York City while dieting, I really appreciated having calorie counts posted at chain restaurants. But those numbers have little meaning or influence for those who aren't counting their calories.

Are You Walking Enough to Lose Weight?

_{Source:
Ashlei James, Beverley Adams-Huet, Kelli Crisp, Joel Mitchell, Lyn Dart, Marcel Turner, Mike Kasper, Jessica Bowman, Sarah Joeckel, Nicole Toomey, Heather Heefner, Eric Blasco, and Meena Shah. "The Effect of Menu Labels, Displaying Minutes of Brisk Walking Needed to Burn Food Calories, on Calories Ordered and Consumed in Young Adults"; The FASEB Journal April 9, 2013 27:367.2.}

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

You may have heard that you should be walking 10,000 steps per day. But is that a myth? How many steps per day are enough for adults?

Health authorities say children and teens should be getting 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). How does that translate into pedometer steps? A couple of studies show how many steps should children walk per day.

How should you achieve your steps each day? There is a debate about whether it's better to accumulate total daily steps or just log your workouts. But the simple answer may be to do both, as studies are accumulating that show that sitting time is bad for your health, even if you get in workouts each day.

Photo © New Lifestyles

Many walkers like the convenience of using bottled water, and many reuse the water bottles. Is this safe? One study done for a master's thesis suggested chemicals could leach into the water as the bottles got old and exposed to light and heat. But other experts dispute those findings. More: Is it safe to reuse my bottled water bottle?

There is, however, a real risk of slurping a mouthful of germs if you don't clean your water bottle well between each use. It is much harder to clean narrow-necked disposable bottles vs. refillable bottles that usually have a wider neck. But even those don't usually clean well in the dishwaher You may have to resort to the various solutions for cleaning hydration packs.

Our Nutrition Guide says not to feel guilty about buying bottled water, because the bottles use less plastic than soda bottles. If that is the choice you are making, well, OK. But it's still a much bigger environmental impact vs. refilling a bottle. It takes a lot of energy to take them to the recycling center and recycle them into more disposable bottles. Far better to refill!

Photo: © Wendy Bumgardner 2006.

Sixteen years ago, this Walking site went live with the rest of the About.com network on April 21, 1997. While that may mean we are ancient in internet years, I prefer to think we are still youngsters. Walking keeps you young, right?

Our Weight Loss Guide Malia says to celebrate with a Go Live workout. I certainly will. My plan is to walk a Distance Walking Workout with one of my walking friends, Liz Rose, who was walking with me back in 1997 and was an About.com Guide for years for topics including Southwest USA for Visitors.

What has changed since April 21, 1997? What hasn't? Our Women's History Guide points out that was the year Princess Diana died, and this year her first grandchild will be born.

This anniversary, many are reeling from the Boston Marathon bombing and other shocking events. We are more in need than ever of the advice of our Healing Guide, Phylameana Desy. Sweet Sixteen Years of Healing. And we all can use advice on living with stress from our Stress Guide Elizabeth Scott.

What changed in the world of walking in 16 years?

• Who needs multiple gadgets when your cell phone can act as a GPS unit, pedometer, map, music player, camera, and, er, phone? Back in 1997, cell phones were as big as a shoe and you could only use them to make phone calls.

• Pedometers have gotten smarter and smarter, linking to online walking logs or cell phone apps.

• More and more racers at marathons do an alternating run and walk, and plenty are purely walking the full distance.

And some things haven't changed in 16 years:

• Health authorities around the world recommend walking for 30 minutes or more each day to reduce your health risks.

Some fads have come and gone:

• Toning shoes: did you really believe they could firm your behind?

Here's to the next 16 years, 32 years, 64 years....

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

Spring is here and it's time to look into your closet and refresh your warm weather walking clothes. If you are newly committed to fitness and need a plus size, it's an opportunity to build a new fitness wardrobe.

From the inside out, women will need a good sweat-wicking sport bra that provides the level of support they need. The Enell Sport Bra (Compare Prices) won the Plus Size Readers' Choice Award.

Then you can choose from a variety of shirts and tank tops. I like to keep my shoulders covered during a long walk to prevent sunburn. I was pleased to see that Nike has a full line of extended size athletic shirts and tanks.

• Best Plus Size Women's Walking Tops

For bottoms, there are more and more choices. Many walkers want to wear compression shorts or bike shorts to prevent thigh chafing. Today, you can get looser shorts or skorts that have built-in compression shorts so you don't feel exposed in tight spandex.

• Best Plus Size Women's Walking Shorts and Bottoms

One problem with sweat-wicking fabrics is that some of them retain body odor. If your warm weather walking duds are funky, try these tips to get body odor out.

Now, don't forget the sunscreen.

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

Whether you are a runner, a walker, a spectator or a volunteer, show your support for those affected by the bombing at the Boston Marathon by wearing a race shirt, a volunteer shirt, a race bib or medal this week. We won't let this stop us.

What else can you do? Back on the day after 9/11 I wrote this list of what we can do to channel our shock and anger constructively. Be prepared for any emergency. Don't stop training or cancel plans for your next big race. Volunteer to help others. If you are eligible, make a blood donation appointment for June when the current supplies are again running short.
What a Walker Can Do

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

I hope for the healing and recovery of those who were injured, and for the families of those who died.

As a marathoner, race director and race volunteer, I have seen so many people work hard to achieve the accomplishment of finishing a marathon. It is how an ordinary person can do the extraordinary. This act angers and saddens me greatly, striking not at governments or institutions, but at an event where solo accomplishment is honored and celebrated.

It's Boston Marathon Day. While it isn't a walker-friendly event, it inspires a lot of walkers to dream of running, run/walking or walking a marathon. If you've caught the bug, look for a marathon in the fall and start training now. If you've never walked more than a few miles, I'd suggest starting with a walker-friendly half marathon in the fall, and then train for a full marathon in a year.
Before You Register for a Marathon
Training to Walk a Marathon
How Not to Train for a Marathon

I've decided after seven marathons that I'm going to stick with the half marathon distance this year (see the funny t-shirt for several reasons why!). I've walked one each month this year and  I'm registered for two of the Rock 'n Roll half marathons in May and in November.  Which events should you choose? See our Readers' Choice Winners and Finalists for Walker-Friendly Marathon and Walker-Friendly Half Marathon.

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner. The marathon checklist is trademarked by Mon-Tees, image used with permission.

Setting a number goal can be very motivating. You want it to be big enough to be a challenge, yet still be something you can achieve. I saw a Million Steps Club challenge on the MyStride.net web site and decided to join in. After all, I wear at least two pedometers all day. I planned to stay in training and walk a half marathon each month. I could do this, right?
One Million Steps - How Far and How Long?: let's play with the numbers and see how far it is and how long it might take you to get there.

• How Many Steps per Day are Enough?
• How to Choose a Pedometer
• Top Picks for Pedometers

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

April is Stress Awareness Month. Taxes, allergy season, wondering what will become of your teen when she graduates this summer. There are oodles of things to stress about. Walking is often recommended as a stress-relieving activity. Get up, move, clear your mind. But I come from a family of worriers and I know how to turn even walking into something to worry about.

10 Stress-Causing Worries for Walkers: How many of these do you stress about?

More: Stress and Your Health

Most walkers should take some time to learn healthy walking posture and stride. From dog walkers to half marathon walkers, I see a lot of poor posture and lack of arm motion. That means they aren't getting the most benefit out of their walking, and it may be contributing to back pain and other muscle and joint aches. Podiatric physician Dr. Michael Nirenberg is lending his expertise with his Flowalking web site and home study program. He coaches in the same way I do with my Walking Technique lessons.
Review: Flowalking at Home Program

Dr. Nirenberg is also writing the new American Volkssport Association Walking Blog.

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

You nominated and voted, and now here are the winners of the 2013 Readers' Choice Awards.  We took your nominations and selected three to five finalists in each category. Voting closed March 19, 2013 and our tech team audited and validated the votes before we determined the final counts.

Winners and Finalists:

• Best Pedometer
• Best Linked Pedometer
• Best Walking App
• Best Treadmill $1500 or Less
• Best Treadmill $1500-$3000
• Best Treadmill Over $3000
• Best Fitness Walking Shoes
• Best Comfort Shoes
• Best Trail Shoes
• Best Walking Poles
• Best Walker-Friendly Half Marathon
• Best Walker-Friendly Marathon
• Best Walking Vacation Tour Company
• Best Walking Publication
• Top 10 Walks in the USA

More Readers' Choice Awards

• Hiking Readers' Choice Awards
• Camping Readers' Choice Awards
• Hotels and Resorts Readers' Choice Awards
• All 2013 Readers' Choice Awards

Logo © About.com

If you burn as many calories in your walking workouts as your buddies do running, you are reducing your risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol just as much as they are. That is the finding from a study comparing the 33,060 runners in the National Runners' Health Study and 15,045 walkers in the National Walkers' Health Study, published in the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.

This study compared energy expended. Walkers take longer to expend the same number of calories as runners do in a workout. It's the distance and your weight that are the biggest factors, with speed adding a little boost for the runners. But walkers can burn as many calories as many runners do each day. If they do, the study suggests that they get just as great of a reduction in their health risks. Walking vs. Running Calories

Here is how the two activities compared in reducing risks:

• First-time hypertension: Running 4.2%. Walking  7.2%
• First-time high cholesterol: Running 4.3%  Walking 7%.
• First-time diabetes: Running 12.1%  Walking 12.3%
• Coronary heart disease: Running 4.5%  Walking 9.3%

The study's conclusion is: "Equivalent energy expenditures by moderate (walking) and vigorous (running) exercise produced similar risk reductions for hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes mellitus, and possibly CHD."

If you love running, keep running. If you prefer walking, keep walking. If you need to get started doing any exercise, lace up those shoes and just get moving!
How to Start Walking

_Source:

_{Paul T. Williams, Paul D. Thompson. "Walking Versus Running for Hypertension, Cholesterol, and Diabetes Mellitus Risk Reduction." Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2013; first published on April 4 2013 as doi:10.1161/ATVBAHA.112.300878.}

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

It's National Walking Day today, April 3, 2013.  Time to shake off winter, lace up your walking shoes and get walking.  The American Heart Association promotes this day to get you committed to walking for 30 minutes or more each day to reduce your health risks. You may hear of National Walking Day activities in your area or company.  You can also join in online at AHA with their National Walking Day Toolkits for individuals and organizations.

For 2013, they encourage you to take a photo of yourself enjoying walking and post it to Instagram with the hashtag #MyMoves. They will feature photos on their AmericanHeart Facebook page throughout the month of April.

You can join with the efforts of US Surgeon General in her Call to Action on Walking. Give your comments in the Federal Register on what should be in the Call to Action. What is the right way to go to promote walking for health and fitness?

We have plenty of free walking plans and tools here as well.

• Quick Start Guide to Walking
• Let's Get Walking - Free 28 Day Email Course
• Need convincing? Top 10 Reasons to Start Walking

Did your family or friends convince you to join them at a local charity walk, but you haven't been training? You've come to the right place. It's time to start training, whether you are new to walking and trying to finish a 5K walk, or want to go for a half-marathon or marathon.

• Walking for Once-a-Year Walkers: A survival guide for those who don't normally walk, but get inspired to join in a charity walk.
• 5K Walk Training Plan: A beginners plan to get you to a great 5K.
• How Far Can You Walk with No Training?: What distance will a normal healthy person be able to walk, vs. distances that require months of training?
• Race Day Guide to the Starting Line: What can you expect at a big event with hundreds or even thousands of runners and walkers? Here's how to navigate it.

• Walking for Absolute Beginners: My tutorial on how to start walking.

Our DC Guide has a list of upcoming charity walks in Washington DC. You can probably find a similar list in your own locale. In New York City, consider the 9/11 Memorial 5K Run/Walk coming April 21.
Photo © Wendy Bumgardner 2006

Gear review time! I have two goodies that manufacturers sent me to review.

Review: Omron Strapless Heart Rate Monitor HR-500U
If you want a very accurate exercise heart rate and hate wearing a chest strap, this item will keep you alerted as to which zone you are in. I loved it for its simplicity and ease of use. But it is a more-expensive heart rate monitor, with fewer features than you get at the same price for the chest-strap models.

Review: ABEO AERO Armus Walking Shoes
I am usually skeptical of shoes designed for walking, as too often they have proven to be clunky. These shoes sold by The Walking Company can make me a believer. The AERO line is made for fitness walkers rather than casual strollers. They are lightweight yet well-cushioned and have the flat, flexible, non-flared design that is right for walking. I slipped them on and didn't want to take them off. I think they can be a great shoe to wear for your fitness walking as well as travel and all-day comfort. Buy Direct

Photos © Wendy Bumgardner

Are you ready to take a 28-day walking challenge? Dr. Weil Integrative Footwear along with Orthaheel is launching a nationwide Walkabout 28 day Quest for Good Health. This second annual event kicks off on National Walking Day, April 3, 2013. Sign the online pledge to walk 30 minutes each day through April and receive daily emails with tips on wellbeing. You also get the chance to win prizes. Sign Up for Walkabout 2013.

They are seeking select walking leader ambassadors from all across the USA to lead walking groups. The ambassadors will  receive a wellness kit and a pair of Orthaheel or Dr. Weil Integrative Footwear shoes. Ambassadors are expected to post about their walkabout experiences on social media such as Facebook and Twitter. You can apply to become one of the ambassadors via the Walkabout Questionnaire.

Dr. Andrew Weil, podiatrist Philip Vasyli and celebrity trainer Juliet Kraska are promoting Walkabout 2013. They encourage everyone to post photos of themselves walking to Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #Walkabout2013.

The Weil Rhythm Walker is one of the finalists in our Walking Readers' Choice Awards, in the Comfort Shoe category.

Logo © Dr. Weil Integrative Footwear

A March half marathon can be risky. But I've kept up with half marathon training through the winter and boldly registered. Heaven knows I've walked cold and wet half marathons before. Today's inaugural Hop Hop Half Marathon in Portland, Oregon had beautiful but chilly weather. For those elsewhere, the 38F temperature probably sounds balmy. Here are things I learned that may help you at your next race:

• This is the first time I've worn costume headgear through a race. I got a set of bunny ears for being an early registrant. As there was only a light breeze, they stayed on through the whole race and didn't even annoy me! Many participants, men as well as women, wore bunny ears, and many had bunny tails, too. Have you raced in a costume?
• This was a race for both runners and walkers. Unlike many events, I had no trouble finding the course time limit and other conditions for walkers, they addressed it specifically on their web site. They promised there would still be mimosas and croissants for us slower folks at the finish -- and there were!  The race I did in February (different organizer) had completely closed up the finish celebration area by the time I finished, even though I was under the cut-off time. I definitely will support organizers who make their races truly walker-friendly.
• I logged my best time in a few years, under 3:30. The course had gently rolling hills alongside the Columbia River.
• Always carry your emergency contact and medical information. At mile 7, a racer was being given CPR and the ambulance soon arrived. As I often race alone, I write my contact info on the back of my race bib (many bibs have this printed on them for that purpose). I also have them on an ICE app on my cell phone.
• It was hard to decide whether to dress for cold or bet on the sun. I opted for long pants and I didn't overheat. I forgot to put sunscreen on my arms and I would have pushed up my sleeves while headed into the sun if I wasn't afraid of sunburn.
  Tips for racing in cold weather

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

Jerusalem is a sacred city to three major world faiths.  A couple of years ago, I enjoyed a walking tour in Jerusalem. These photos show the route Jesus is believed to have taken down the Mount of Olives to enter Jerusalem while being acclaimed as the Messiah.
Photos: A Walk Down the Mount of Olives

Along this path, visitors will also see the Garden of Gethsemane and a typical cave tomb of that era.

My walk in Jerusalem was a quirky spiritual experience. On the one hand, I truly felt an aura of holiness in viewing the city from the Mount of Olives. On the other hand, I would have preferred to see the holy sites in their original condition rather than enclosed in large churches and beneath gilded altars.

My biggest take-away was: visit Jerusalem while you can still walk comfortably. The historic sites are not handicap-accessible. To visit Jerusalem, and many other historic sites and ancient cities, you need to be able to climb stairs and steep hills and dodge traffic. I saw a lady in a wheelchair, who was extremely happy to be visiting the holy sites, but she was only able to see a tiny fraction of we could see on foot.

More Jerusalem and Israel Walks:

• Jerusalem Via Dolorosa Walk - The Way of the Cross
• Tel Aviv Promenade Walk to Jaffa (Yafo)
• Mount Gilboa Walk

I have walking friends who are proud finishers of the Goofy Challenge - walking both the Walt Disney World Half Marathon and the Walt Disney World Marathon the same weekend. Now Run Disney is debuting a new addition to the weekend and offering a Dopey Challenge. Walk the Thursday 5K walk, the new Friday Walt Disney World 10K, and then the half marathon and marathon on the weekend. You end up with six medals, as you will have earned one for each race, plus Goofy and Dopey.

Registration doesn't open until April 9, 2013 for events which take place January 9-14, 2014. You can sign up for their email list. They say spots for the Goofy Challenge are limited, and you have to register for it specifically, not just register for the events individually.

I have a training schedule for walking a marathon and half marathon back-to-back. It's a serious challenge. It is made doubly serious because the Disney races have strict time limits. You have to maintain a 16-minutes per mile pace throughout the event or you get stopped and transported to the finish. The time starts when the last corral is released. But you have to prove you are faster if you want to be anywhere but in the last corral, providing a race time from the prior year.

Have you walked a Disney marathon or half marathon? Come share your story.
Your half marathon story
Your marathon story

Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

The arrival of Spring signals that it's time to take stock of what's buried in my walking gear drawers. First - how have the short sleeved shirts from last year wintered? Give the armpits a sniff to see if they have residual body odor. I have a fairly good recipe for getting body odor out of exercise shirts. If you have a proven way to keep your exercise shirts fresh, please tell us your laundry tip.

Out With the Old
If your closets need some weeding, now is a good time to make four piles of your exercise shirts, pants, shorts, sports bras:

• Rag pile: torn, smelly, stained. Unfortunately, these can't usually be recycled and you'll have to use them as rags or put them out with the trash.
• Donate to charity: Wearable and clean but don't fit, wrong color, not your style. If you didn't wear it all last summer, you won't this summer, pass it on!
• Keepsakes: Race t-shirts that bear great memories. You might wear them, but really you think you'll do something artsy with them. Ideas for old race t-shirts?
• Wearables: The ones you'll be wearing all summer.

Are Your Shoes Dead?
You may have shoes you haven't worn since last fall. Get them all out, line them up and determine which shoes are dead and need replaced. Keep only one pair for gardening/beach walking and recycle the rest. Most recycling centers have an athletic shoe bin. They will go on to new lives as playground and track surfaces. If you have shoes that never fit right but are in great shape, donate them to charity.

Cleaning Your Shoes
I never wash my walking shoes. If they get really muddy, I brush and wash the mud off. It is considered unwise to wash your walking shoes in the washer and dry them in the dryer, as they have lots of glue and adhesives that are likely to be affected by strong detergents and high drying temperatures. If you feel the need to clean your shoes, our Sneakers Guide, Suzy, has a great step by step on cleaning your sneakers. The best makeover tip of all: new clean shoelaces!

Water Bottles and Hydration Packs
Give your water bottles a good cleaning with dishwashing liquid. If you have any nasty residue, a dilute bleach solution (a teaspoon to a quart of water) will kill any bacteria and molds. Soak for 15 minutes. Rinse well. Or, you may want to use one of the Camelbak cleaning methods.

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Photo © Wendy Bumgardner