Day 30 Why Walk? 10 Reasons
I wanted to share this great article with everyone ... more reasons to walk ... thank you to medicinenet.com
       

There are so many reasons to walk30 in August ... Come walking with me on Friday August First!

What are the top 10 reasons to walk?

1. Walking prevents type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program showed that walking 150 minutes per week and losing just 7% of your body weight (12-15 pounds) can reduce your risk of diabetes by 58%.
2. Walking strengthens your heart if you're male. In one study, mortality rates among retired men who walked less than one mile per day were nearly twice that among those who walked more than two miles per day.
3. Walking strengthens your heart if you're female. Women in the Nurse's Health Study (72,488 female nurses) who walked three hours or more per week reduced their risk of a heart attack or other coronary event by 35% compared with women who did not walk.
4. Walking is good for your brain. In a study on walking and cognitive function, researchers found that women who walked the equivalent of an easy pace at least 1.5 hours per week had significantly better cognitive function and less cognitive decline than women who walked less than 40 minutes per week. Think about that!
5. Walking is good for your bones. Research shows that postmenopausal women who walk approximately one mile each day have higher whole-body bone density than women who walk shorter distances, and walking is also effective in slowing the rate of bone loss from the legs.
6. Walking helps alleviate symptoms of depression. Walking for 30 minutes, three to five times per week for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of depression as measured with a standard depression questionnaire by 47%.
7. Walking reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer. Women who performed the equivalent of one hour and 15 minutes to two and a half hours per week of brisk walking had an 18% decreased risk of breast cancer compared with inactive women. Many studies have shown that exercise can prevent colon cancer, and even if an individual person develops colon cancer, the benefits of exercise appear to continue both by increasing quality of life and reducing mortality.
8. Walking improves fitness. Walking just three times a week for 30 minutes can significantly increase cardio-respiratory fitness.
9. Walking in short bouts improves fitness, too! A study of sedentary women showed that short bouts of brisk walking (three 10-minute walks per day) resulted in similar improvements in fitness and were at least as effective in decreasing body fatness as long bouts (one 30-minute walk per day).
10. Walking improves physical function. Research shows that walking improves fitness and physical function and prevents physical disability in older persons.
Source: http://www.medicinenet.com

Walk On Strong!
Sue

Day 19 Walking 30 minutes a day ... simple? Not always ...

Our first grand Baby Lucia! Born June 16, 2014

Day 19 I am back and walking30!
I have been away from my walk30 blog for a long time now and I have missed it. When I am blogging I am even more motivated to challenge myself to get out there with out fail every day and even drag my camera along occasionally.

I don't know about you but for me there have been many ups and downs on the road of life lately.   I left home, Ontario, to travel to Calgary ( hence the hat ) on May 31st  so that I could attend my sister's 50th birthday ... as a surprise! Then I spent time with my daughter in the final days of her pregnancy and was there for the birth of our lovely and very first grandchild ... Lucia.  I was blessed with 2 more weeks of baby time and had the opportunity to visit my Dad in the nursing home quite often and he even came for a visit to my sister's home.

Here we are with all four generations represented ... in the last week of June.

My Dad really enjoyed seeing the baby and we all were happy to have a get together to celebrate my Mom and Dad's 68th wedding anniversary at the same time!  On June 30th I was off on the plane again and home to Ontario after a long time away from home and looking forward to my reestablishing my usual healthy routines. 
On July 2nd I got the call that my dear Dad had passed away and I headed back out west again to say good-bye one last time.

I tell this story because I think that there will always be times that it will be more difficult to take care of ourselves the way we want to.  It is tough getting out the door when you are on vacation or visiting someone else. It is tough to stay on track with you healthy diet when you are sad, happy, anxious or even when you aren't in charge of the kitchen or eating out.
While I was away I made an effort to get out every day and walk ... sometimes it was 5K and another times further but no matter what I made an effort to walk ... even though I might have missed a day or two.  I am emotional eater ... I know this about myself ... so I didn't worry too much about meals while I was away. But I always had a plan in the back of my mind that I would get back on track when I go home. I was away for 2 more weeks and finally arrived back home a few days ago.

So ... I am writing in my food journal, tracking my steps and teaching a summer fitness class 2 days a week in the local park. 
I am also going to blog at least once a week and let you know how I am doing.

If you have some bumps in the your road don't let it change your healthy life forever but at the same time you need to give yourself a break and then get back on track as soon as possible. 

My Dad was an inspiration to me ... he went to the gym 2 or 3 time a week until he was 90 years old ... wow! I am going to miss him;(

Walk On Strong,
Sue

Day 7 Getting Close to Race Day

Walk30 every day!...
... the K W Walking Classic is just around the corner!


Most of you know that my husband Dave and I founded the Minds In Motion K W Walking Classic (along with many other dedicated volunteers) in 2008.  Our family, just like many other families, have had to struggle to deal with the experience of mental illness. All of us know someone, care for someone or are someone who has been touched directly by mental health issues in some way and yet ,as a society, we still look the other way.  This Minds In Motion initiative started as an attempt to break through the stigma around mental illness and to highlight the amazing benefits that everyone in our communities can derive from simply walking more often and with friends. It is an event that we feel brings light and hope to an experience that often is clouded with darkness, despair and secrecy.

In our 6 year history we have brought hope to many and through Trillium Foundation funding we have also created a body of research around the many physical, emotional, social and psychological benefits of the race event, walking groups, walking conferences and educational sessions that have been presented through the Minds In Motion initiative.  We have also investigated the impact that our MIM initiative has had on community and self stigma that is attached to mental illness.

In addition to a great experiences that have been had on race day, our walking conference in October and the weekly walks that many enjoy we have been able to provide over 800 pairs of individually fitted athletic shoes to those using fitness as a part of their mental health recovery plan. These worthy athletes are often on extremely limited incomes and those shoes make a world of difference.

We are asking you to help us by attending the event on Sunday, May 11 2014 at Waterloo Public Square and walking or volunteering with us. If you cannot come in person you might consider donating through our Giving Page link below.

The Lewis Family Giving Page

We can all make a difference!

Walk On Strong!

Sue, Dave, Michael and Sarah Lewis

Day 23 Walk for Metal Health

Day 23 ... and we are working hard to get everything together for the Minds In Motion K W Walking Classic on May 11.
 At the same time I am also making sure that I get out the door to keep myself in balance.  Today my walk30 was fast and on the end of a leash ... our dog Annie was making me pick up the pace. Thank goodness for the dogs we have to walk .... they are keeping us on track and healthy!
Join us art the Classic on May 15th ... help us make a difference!
Walk On Strong!
Sue

Day 21 Walking30 into Spring

Day 21 ... and where has April gone ...
 

A new pair of flashy shoes ... Saucony Grid Virratas .. very light and flexible.

 I have walked my way through this month in the face of some extremely questionable weather and an incredibly hectic schedule. Almost every day I have promised myself to get to my blog but we have been so busy preparing for the Minds In Motion K W Walking Classic that will be happening in 3 SHORT WEEKS ... that it has been a real stretch.

I am happy to report that I have walked a minimum of 30 minutes every single day and almost double many days. I am now working on getting faster so I am doing interval training and tempo walks most days.  I am hoping that if all goes well I can actually do the Fiddleheads 5K at our race. Dave and I usually spend the day making sure that things run smoothly but I am hoping to squeeze in a quick 5 K ... but I need to train if I hope for a fast pace!

Please come and join me on May 11th ... it is a blast and we do all to raise funds for Mental Health action in our community. 
See you there,
Walk On Strong,
Sue

Day 2 and 3 Walking to Wellness

Dave presenting at Fiddleheads Health and Nutrition

Day 2 and 3 Walking to Wellness ... a great talk at Fiddleheads

Wednesday and today Dave and I were preparing our power walking workshop that took place at Fiddleheads Health Store this evening. It was all about how everyone can benefit from knowing how to put a little more muscle in their stride! There was a good group and we got them up walking around the room and putting some techniques into practice.
The last 2 days of walking30 have gone well .. just getting out the door as often as possible for shorter walks seems to have been the key.  I teach a dance class on Wednesdays too so that gets another 5000 steps in for sure.
That's all for now I am off to rest.
 I hope you has a great walk30

Walk On Strong!

Sue

Day One April Walk30 Challenge

Walking in Waterloo Region has been challenging this winter ... this photo was a few week ago but we still have snow banks and ice to deal with ... but Spring is showing its face

Day One of the April walk30 challenge! Our weather is getting better but there are still some icy patches in the early mornings and big puddles in the afternoon.  The daytime temperatures are starting to climb and we even saw some sun and a robin today.  The bottom line here is ... Spring just may be coming after all!

I had 2 walks today to get my step count up and my minutes in .... I am using my FitBit and I have promised myself 10 thousand steps a day. Your 30 minute walk can give you about 4 to 5 thousand steps but you really have to keep yourself moving to get in a thousand.

Let's embrace the warmer weather and get those feet on the street.
I hope you had a great walk30 today.
Walk On Strong!
Sue