HEALTHY HABITS
FOR LIFE

A Common Sense Approach to Healthy Living

Things to Do While You Walk

1. Breathe – rhythmically, with your pace.  It is meditative and provides the oxygen needed for your working muscles and clear thinking.

            Use comfortable patterns that coincide with your steps:

            *Even pattern: 2 breaths in, 2 breaths out; 3-in, 3-out, 4in/out

            *Uneven pattern:          3 breaths in, 4 breaths out;

                                                2 breaths in, 3 breaths out

                                                4 breaths in, 3 breaths out, etc

            *You can use staccato or smooth breathing

            *To accommodate increasing levels of intensity:

                 Usual and preferred: in thru nose, out thru nose.

                 Nose breathing can’t quite keep up; in nose, out mouth.

     Intensity is high, need more O₂  to “keep even.” In thru

        mouth, out thru mouth.

2. Plan / Organize / Problem Solve:  life, meals, work “to dos”, parties, scheduling, vacations, gifts, fun, garden plans, relationships,

3. Walk with a friend.  Solve “world problems.”

4. Listen to music, talk radio, book tape or CD

5. Listen to nature, notice the surroundings: people, places, things (this is wonderful with the meditative breathing).

6. Count your steps from one point to another (also meditative).

7. Use toning movements with your stride (info to come).

8. Use timed interval walking to build intensity (info to come).

Other____________________________________________

Last update : Monday, 09 July 2007

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