Several weeks ago I was inspired to make another blog post titled, "Can You Walk?" I'm finally getting a chance to write the blog entry, but the context from which I write has changed considerably since I first thought about the post.
Originally, I was going to write something along the lines of the following: Can you walk? Then you can lose weight and get fit, if that's what your goal is. I estimate that at least 1/2 the weight I lost came from simply walking. Walking with intensity, of course....we're not talking strolling, here. I've logged a lot of miles walking--both outside as well as on the treadmill. I fill my ipod playlists with fast-beat dance tunes to inspire my pace, energy and mood, and hit the pavement or the treadmill. Did you know that you can burn as many, if not more, calories while walking on the treadmill if you jack up the incline vs. jogging/running on a flat surface? It's all about the intensity, and there are different ways to challenge your body--it doesn't have to be about speed. In particular I love the FreeMotion Incline Trainer Treadmills that provide an incline that goes up to 30%. It's like you're hiking up a mountain! I usually vary the incline and speed throughout the duration of my workout...this both keeps my workout interesting and also challenges my body a little more by changing things up a little.
So, my original post was simply going to be about sharing my insights on the often under-rated power of walking. But, as it turns out, after having been sick for much of the last couple months, my own fitness level has diminished and I am back to mostly just walking as my fitness routine. A bad bout of bronchitis unearthed some old asthma issues, and it has taken me several weeks to recover. I'm still not fully back to 100% with my breathing issues, which means I need to be cautious as I try to start working on getting back to my regular fitness routine. This past Friday I finally made my way back to the gym, and went straight for the FreeMotion Treadmill. I couldn't work out as hard as I would have liked, because I had to be cautious with my breathing. (One of the reasons I ended up being sick so long was because I pushed myself too hard in basketball before I was fully well, and it did more damage to my bronchial infection....so I am trying to do EVERYTHING I can to avoid doing this again!) But, I needed to do something to get moving again....and knew that even just getting back to the gym and going through the motions was going to make me feel better, even if I couldn't do as much as I'd have LIKED to do. And, I knew that even if I am just walking....the longer I walk, the more calories I'd burn; plus, the less intense the workout, the more stamina you're going to have to extend the length of the workout.
The good news is, even with my workout limitations, I still was able to burn over 500 calories in under 50 minutes, simply by walking at a moderate pace! This is why I love this machine! At the end of December, I wrote down some of my stats on two different occasions when I used the same machine. I'm doubly glad I did so, now, as it gave me benchmarks with which to compare my most recent workout. Rather than disappoint me in seeing the lower numbers now...it actually inspires me to compare the numbers and know that as long as I keep walking I will soon be pushing out those higher numbers again in no time.
The first time I used the machine, I actually burned 1000 calories in just over an hour! This is partially because of some of the games I play with myself during my workouts: as I watch the numbers go higher (wow, I've burned over 800 calories!), I push myself just a little more (holy crap...all that in less than an hour....in no time at all I will be at 1000! And then I can SAY I burned 1000 calories...and that sounds INCREDULOUS!!!). Here's my comparison data:
December 27, 2010
3.5 miles
2700 ft vertical distance
68 minutes
1000 calories
December 29, 2010
2.72 miles
2074 ft vertical distance
53 minutes
765 calories
March 18, 2011
2 miles
1317 ft vertical distance
49 minutes
518 calories
Besides my normal workouts, I also often walk 1-2 miles at lunchtime, so that's another activity that fell by the wayside as I've been trying to get well. So, in many respects I've taken several steps back in my conditioning level from being forced to become quite sedentary over the last couple of months. I'm sharing this now as a way of highlighting how there are always going to be setbacks of some sort that arise--whether it's an injury, an illness, life circumstances, emotional issues, or whatnot--and we will have to find ways to meander through or around or under or over the setbacks. I felt incredibly discouraged a few weeks ago as I spent way too many hours lying in bed when I wanted to wave a magic wand so I could get back to "my life" again; but, it's ALL a part of life, even the parts that feel like loss. I used the "down time" to think about my fitness journey in a broader perspective and I made some important new connections and revelations for myself. I also used the time to return a little more focus to my eating and cooking habits....since I wasn't able to work out and focus on the fitness (calories out) portion of the equation, I thought it would be a great opportunity to regain some of my focus on healthy eating (calories in). Prior to this my life had gotten so busy that it was hard to give everything the proper attention it needs, which meant that I was doing poorly at meal planning because I often didn't plan ahead.
So, in reality, sometimes it takes the experience of "loss" to remind us of our priorities. And though at times life is a struggle, sometimes going through these experiences ultimately lifts us to yet a new level on our journey. It's all important...we just need to take things one step at a time and eventually we'll get to where we're going. Even if we're just walking!
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