. Tequired, no healthclub membership -
and no equipment beyond a good °
pair of shoes and socks and clothing.
to keep you. dry, warm - and:

B10 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 28, 1994

Power walking puts.
you in the fast lane

(SOP) The lures of power walking
are plentiful: simplicity, low risk of
injury, a low-impact aerobic
workout, not.much instruction

comfortable. :

That’s why North Americans, _ fitness walking. Gently’ contract —
many of them women, are. turning.

to power walking io. buost their’

health and filness. ee

Faster and more vigorous thana a

stroll, but without. the ‘exageeraled * (SOP) Though

mation of racewalking, power

walking i is an intense: workout, of
vigorous striding.: ;

It’s the best activity you ‘can | do, 2

because youdon’ tgeltheinjuriesof 4
-~<" feeommended by a fitness trainer.

“Also. try athers: ‘of your own that”.
: Toosen and flex the upper body. ‘Hold:
each for It) to 30 seconds and don't
_ bounce OF. stretch - ‘tothe point.of
_ pain. After your walk, finish with
* about five. minutes of: caal-down -:
; strolling, Then: isiretch again, for’

running.

Plus, the colder moriths can be.

prime time for. power walking.

The rapid, fluid stride of power:

walking, plus getting autside makes
it challenging and exhilarating. °::

HOW TO WALK IT OFF:
Start with a two-mile walk.ona

flat landscape. For the first mile,”

take it casy -'this will. serve as'a
warmup. During your'second mile,-
speed up to the quickest pace-you™

can comfortably sustain. Beginners. .°
should start al about “15 to.17-mi-:

nutes a mile, for 20 ta:30. minutes, «
two ta three timesa week alternating :

days. Gradually“ build to: at Teast:
three weekly faster-paced (12- to

15-minute-milc) power walks!

When it comes to‘weight loss, |
the length of time spent:walking «°-”
and the intensity: matters more than©

how fast you go. So walk as oftends .

you can and set a pace that-you can. ;
maintain for an extended period of

at least 45 minutes to_an-hour.

In terms of cardiovascular
benefits, walking a‘13-to 17-minute
mile for 40 minutes,: four. times
weekly.
benefit as jogging for 30 minutes
threc timesa week, without the high-

impact body-pounding that running :.
generates. If you increase yourspeed . «

from a 15- toa 12-minute mile and
walk three miles a day, five days a
week, you will burn an additional
30,680 calories each year.

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES |

For proper walking form, keep .

your head up, with chin parallel to
the ground, bul~-not protruding.
Correct head position will help the
rest of your body fall:into proper
alignment.

Shoulders should be back and
down, but relaxed. Bend your arms

“less active.”
‘“Upon:teaching

including obesity.
‘coronary. heart disea : oo
One: out of every:f our teens carries a
enough excess weight to pul him or her.
at high risk: for-suffering: a: fatal; heart -*
"attack. stroke: ‘colon’ cancer, gout and -~
other health-problems: later in life —
tegardless’ of whether:he or'she has
slimmed down’as: ‘an: adult: "he'says.-:
This illustrates the i importance’ of learn-“"
ing’and. incorpora ing: thealthy: lifestyle .
habits at an‘early: ape. .
"There isan alarming misconception 7
" that’ ‘children are currently getting all of ©
the ‘exercise they;need to be physically “
fit.” says H.J. Saunders, president of ”°:
..the National Youth Fitnéss Coalition..-

will result in the. same

at about a 90-degree angle at the
elbow, your hands closed ina loose
fist, then swing your arms back and

"forward smoothly and at waist level

as you. move them back and forth in

“synchrony” with your legs.- Bring

your fist only : as far back as-your

: hip. .

The midsection i is the engine of

alking is.a low-
impaci exercise iS wise to warm

> up and stretch before and coo! down
after: Begin by)
“pace for five to:10 minutes. ‘Then ;

walking | at an easy

try” the: following. stretches, «

about “five minutes. holding a bit -
longer than initially.

a BB EER tn TR

abdominal muscles to support back
muscies and keep the buttocks
iucked in. Rotate hips slightly to
help feet land close to an imaginary
center line stretching in front of
your body, as if you are walking on
a tightrope.

Leg motion should be smooth
and natural, swinging forward, then
pulling vigorously backward after

~ your heel hits the ground. Your

stride should be comfortable.

Your heel hits. first, -rotling |
toward your toes. For a more
powerful stride, keep toes: up and
‘push off with them. a

Warm up

QUADRICEPS
Use your left hand to grasp your
left foot and ‘gently pull the heel

: toward your buttocks, keeping your
‘knee, pointed. down. If. necessary,
“hold onto:a support (railing, trec)
~ with the righthand. Don’tarch your
back. Repeat on the other side.

CALF

Stand with right knee bent in
front, left leg straight back. As you-
pressthe heel of yourleft foot down,
lean slightly forward, with hands
onthe top of right thigh: Feel a mild
stretch in the left calf. Hoid-and
repeal with the other leg.

The rapid stride of power walking, plus Letting outside even when it’s
chilly, makes this a challenging, aerobicaily-rewarding activity. (Photo:

Courtesy of Nike Air.)

| Children of the ’90s at risk for adult illnesses

Record numbers of young people

‘-ages.6 10 15 are:sedentary. overweight
“and-out of shape. These kids are less.

active and: waich’ more ‘television than’

uny: previous Ecneration: and the mast‘
recent studies-a beginning. to look like’
today's: health= ~Care Crisis could be, :

lomorrow's epidemic.

“The. perception ' igiven by competitive

- youth sports, physical education class-
es and after-school play. has-lulled par-~
ents and educators into a false sense of

-Security that our children are active and.

"healthy, when in fact they: are. more .

‘sedentary than ever before.”

The President’s Council, on Physi¢al :
‘Fitness’ and Sports says that half of all:
. American children: are not getting
enough exercise to develop healthy *:
~ Cardiorespiratory: systems. To: combat
_:this, the American College of Sports -
Medicine recommends that children ~

lives.”

engage in 20 to 30 minutes of vigorous
exercise each day to combat adolescent

Obesity. and ensure healthy cardiovas-,
cular development. .

One fimess: equipment company.

‘NordicTrack?,is solving the’ problem
OF :-how to-entice children and adoles-:
a cents. 10 exercise with its newest’ divi-.
TAS children inature.-they. ‘become =
_ says: Jeff Zwiefel, director.; :
~ of. National Exercise. For Life: institute: :
ithood, this often’
leads. to serious: health’ problems;
‘hypertension and.

sion, Fitness’ For:Fun'™,

By: developing: a line of. exercise -
‘products: Specifically :for children and:
young: adults; NordicTrack is getting ‘a
_jump:on: the health problems most
“adults must address Sooner or later.

a NordicTrack is teaching: children
their | parents the importance of
ise and“a’healthy lifestyle at an
age when they are. developing habits
that they will carry into their adult
“says Jim Bostic. NordicTrack
president and.CEO. “We want. kids to

shave ’so much: fun, ‘they don’t even

realize they’ re exercising.”
Three \of :these’ products. the
JoyRide™, the NordicTrack Pro Jr.™

and ‘the TrackRanger™. are. already

popular with both ‘children and their
‘parents.
The JoyRide™ incorporates some-

~ thing already extremely popular with
children, video. games, into a piece of
“exercise equipment that adds to the

video experience. Designed much like
one would imagine Luke Skywalker's
video games, the JoyRide offers exer-
-cise. while playing a wide assortment of

the popular Super. Nintendo® and: Sega.

Genesis® games...

The JoyRide acts ‘as. a total- -hody
~joystick.as young exercisers control the
“On-screen action: with movement ‘from :

» the body's major-muscle groups, as’.
opposed to those just in the hands. The-
JoyRide is adjustable, and can be used

by the whole family — even dad.
Experts agree that cross-country ski-

ing is one of the most efficient forms of

exercise available. The NordicTrack

* Pro-Jr. offers children all of these. exer-
_cise ‘benefits, while featuring the same
“quality workout their parents have been

receiving for years. Collapsible like its

adult namesake, ‘the Pro Jr.allows kids -°
‘to work out on and. store the skier ini the =
“privacy of their own room, :
‘The: TrackRanger™ exercycle offers
a distinctly different form of trans-
portation for kids of all ages. This’fun,-

inverted three-wheeler is like no other
cycle before it. The balance-oriented
Steering system and stand-up position

affer more health benefits than the a

classic steering.and seated position,

while allowing kids the same fun of.)

cycling. The TrackRanger takes: this
superior workout on. or off the roud as”

-rits rugged all-terrain construction is):
adaptable to sidewalks, bike paths-and
park trails: Be

With their fine of fun- and edocation=:- :

al fitness products, catalog ‘and’ newly.)
opening Fitness for Fun retail stores;.°2
NordicTrack enables children‘to easily: *:
-get all of the exercise they need at the: 2
‘time they need it. most.

For more information on children’s:

health and wellness and Fitness For, = :

Fun, call 1-800-582-2117, ext. OLS:

aamaed

“AN EXERCISER THAT ALLOWS the entire family to work ¢ out while

playing video games, the JoyRide i is ‘featured i in 1 NordicTrack's ‘Fitness

for Fun line.

AF940386