Timothy E. Churetta Wellness and Fitness Teacher Northwestern Lehigh School District

1. The Power of Walking One Key Towards Opening The Door To Better Health Tides of Change April 1st & 2nd, 2008 Timothy E. Churetta Wellness and Fitness Teacher Northwestern Lehigh School District

2. How Do You See It?

3. Check-in Respecting all of our differences, why did you register for this seminar? What attracted you to The Power of Walking? What is one goal that you wish to walk out of here today having established? But first, lets take it one step at a time… Who are you? Where are you from?

4. Today’s Schedule Step 1: Introductions Step 2: A Cultural Epidemic Step 3: What is Walking? Step 4: Benefits of Walking Step 5: Preparing for Exercise, The Educational Piece Step 6: Preparing for Exercise, The Physical Piece Step 7: The Walk Step 8: Cooling Down with Questions

5. “Live as if you were living for the second time and had acted as wrongly the first time as you are about to act now.” - Viktor Frankl Man’s Search For Meaning

6. One Mind, One Body • Our country spends $132 billion a year on diabetes-related illnesses, and 200,000 Americans are dying each year. You can change those individuals who are pre-diabetic, which amounts to 16 more million Americans, by encouraging them to lose 10 to 15 pounds, and by walking 30 minutes a day five or six times a week. • We spend $117 billion a year on obesity-related illnesses, from which 300,000 Americans die. Upwards to two-thirds of Americans are overweight and obese. A proper diet and exercise can help reduce your chances of becoming a statistic. • http://www.webmd.com/content/article/67/79946.htm

7. Justification • Intimidation Factors • Media Messages • Lack of Time • Negative Image of Exercise • Slow Results • Money • Lack of Support • Motivation

8. Walking - A form of locomotion. Self-propelled movement characterized by a heel to toe motion with the absence of a flight phase. "Walking is the best possible exercise." - Thomas Jefferson

9. What It Looks Like • Always stretch before you begin. • Start at a slow, comfortable pace. • Maintain good posture. • Keep your ears centered over your shoulders which are centered over your hips. • Keep your chest up and out. • Relax your shoulders. • Maintain a good rocking motion. • Keep your foot swing natural. • Pace yourself. • Swing your arms. • Always perform a light cool-down.

10. Benefits of Walking • Improves cardiovascular fitness. • Helps build and maintain bones and muscles. • Helps control weight, build lean muscle, and reduce fat. • Reduces feelings of sadness, stress, and anxiety. • Promotes positive mental health, including higher levels of self-esteem. • Increases flexibility and aerobic endurance. • Increases energy levels. • Promotes healthier sleep habits.

11. Benefits of Walking "All things being equal, you will burn more calories by running an hour than walking an hour. It is true that walking a mile will burn more calories than running a mile -- although it takes longer to do so. When you run a mile, you're burning mostly sugar, or carbohydrates, which is how your body gives you fast energy in bursts. When you walk a mile, it gives your metabolism time to switch from burning carbohydrates to burning fat." Dr. Dean Ornish, clinical professor of medicine, UC San Francisco

12. Preparing for Exercise What Do I Need? • Basic Steps • Shoes • Socks • Undergarments • Weather appropriate clothes • A Step Ahead • Specialty Shoes • CoolMax Socks • Athletic Undergarments • CoolMax Top and Bottom • Weather Pending • Cleats • Micro-fleece/Vest • Hat • Mittens • Additional • Hydration Device • Pedometer • GPS Watch • Heart Rate Monitor • Cell Phone • Reflective Shell • Music Device • Protection • Identification • Money

13. Preparing for Exercise • Have a checkup before beginning an exercise program. Follow the special advice that your health professional gives you for getting a smart start. • Plan to either walk a certain number of minutes or get a pedometer for counting your daily number of steps. • Start with reachable, short-term goals, such as increasing your walks by 5 minutes each day. Or, increase your number of steps by 100 if you've recently been inactive or by 2,000 if you're relatively fit. It's easiest to stick to something new when you have early, frequent successes. • Start each walk with a warm-up, speed up your pace in the middle, and finishing with a slower cool-down at the end. • To stay motivated, walk with your family, friends, or coworkers. Daily dog walks are also a great way to keep up your walking routine. • After you've made walking a regular habit, set a longer-term goal for yourself, such as walking briskly for at least 30 minutes a day or for a daily total of 10,000 steps, 5 days a week or more.

14. Preparing for Exercise • The Importance of Nutrition • Hydration is critically important. • Don’t start on an empty stomach. • Allow time to pass before exercising after a large meal. • Opt for a carb. snack 30-90 minutes before your workout. • Experiment to see what works best for you. • http://www.thewalkingsite.com/nutrition.html

15. Preparing for Exercise • Stretching: • Head Circles • Arm Circles • Hip Stretch • Quadriceps Stretch • Calf Stretch • Soleus Calf Stretch • Leg Extensions • Cross Over Leg Swings • * Remember: Walking is a full body workout. Stretch each muscle group for at least 15 seconds.

16. The Walk Everyone Ready?

17. Cool-down • Slow down your pace. • Do not stop completely. • Avoid sitting down. • Hydrate. • Refuel. • Perform light stretches.

18. Injury Identification • Listen to your body • Expect minimal soreness. • Identify the location of your pain. • Evaluate your workout. • Do not be overcome by guilt. • Hydrate. • Contact a certified professional if necessary.

19. Your Next Step • Where you go from here is up to you. Remember, just like your fingerprints and your walking technique, everyone is different, so select a path that best fits you. • Set both short-term and long-term goals. • Remember to to listen to your body. • Reward yourself for reaching established milestones.

20. Questions Churettat@nwlehighsd.org

21. Information • Specialty Stores • The Finish Line Running Store • Emmaus, PA 18049 • Recommended Walking Sites • Ironton Rail Trail • Slatington Rail Trail • Appalachian Trail • Aardvark Running Store • Bethlehem, PA 18018 • Stroudsburg, PA 18360 • Lehigh Valley Parkway • Walnutport Canal Assoc. • Rodale Park