Wellness at Work: National Walking Day 2013

Before I jump in to this Wellness at Work post, I want to see how my April Arms Challenge participants feel today.  What did you think of yesterday’s triceps superset?  I know that tricep plank holds are my new favorite move, that’s what I learned!

Moving on… did you guys know that today is National Walking Day?  The American Heart Association recognizes this day on the first Wednesday in April every year.  That’s today, my friends!  And people across the country are uniting to take steps (literally) toward living healthier lifestyles.

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As we know, physical inactivity is a huge problem.  Seventy percent of Americans actually don’t get enough exercise.  Pretty scary if you ask me.  So what can YOU do to fight against this epidemic, especially in the work place where too many of us are sedentary for most of the day?

Bring a pair of sneakers to work
Take a walk before you sign in for the day, during your lunch break, or after work.  Encourage a group walk with your team, and schedule it into the day’s events.

Map out a route
Nicer weather is right around the corner, people!  Explore what walking paths or options surround your office building.  Check out how you can walk indoors too, in case of inclement weather.

Find a friend
Enlist a co-worker or group of colleagues to keep you on track with your walking goals.

Take the stairs
Did you know you can burn about six calories per flight of stairs walked?  Every lit bit helps, and it all adds up, right?!

Wear a pedometer
This inexpensive tool can help you track how many steps, on average, you take each day.  Then you can start increasing your goal each week!

Today at work, my group is honoring National Walking Day by taking a 30 minute team walk during our lunch hour.  I’m excited for it, especially since Wednesdays are usually my off day, so the walk can count as my active rest.  I think it would be really cool if a company united all of its employees and had a company walk!  Maybe next year…

I know the workouts that I post on F&F are generally geared to the more intermediate to advanced exerciser.  I post modifications all the time for beginners, but I’ll be honest.  Interval training and all my crazy circuit workouts can be super intimidating as a place to begin.    So if you are brand spankin’ new to the fitness world, and just looking for somewhere to start, I highly suggest beginning with walking.  It’s easy, free, can be done anywhere without equipment, and has the lowest drop-out rate of any exercise program out there.  Plus, it has tons of benefits!

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To help you get started, I found a free six-week program posted on the American Heart Association’s website.  This program targets a beginner walker who wants to simply improve their overall health and increase their energy, and the walks begin at ten minutes or less a day and gradually work their way up to thirty minutes of more.  If you are interested, click here!  The site also has some programs geared toward more advanced folks, and no matter what level you are at, you can print a walking calendar too to get started today and keep yourself on track.

Is anyone’s company recognizing National Walking Day?  How will you be making the commitment?  Anyone have any good walking workouts they’d like to share?

For more of my “Wellness at Work” series, check out these posts:

• Wellness at Work:  Get Moving
• Wellness at Work:  Start a Salad Club

Have a good one!