Walking for Fitness

Information from our sponsor, Lake Forest Hospital.

Just 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise can contribute significantly to your well-being: improving cardiovascular health, lowering blood pressure, helping control weight and reducing risk of major illnesses and disease. Exercise has a psychological payoff, too: more energy, reduced stress levels and better sleep.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to add activity to your routine. A 15-minute walk at lunch is a great way to clear your head and get some fresh air—while meeting half of your daily goal. For maximum fitness benefits, swing your arms while you walk, and try to keep up a good pace.

If you’d like more information about health benefits and issues related to walking, call the Lake Forest Hospital Sports Medicine Department at 847-535-7550.

Tips to get started:

• Don’t overdo it. If you are not used to daily walking, start out with short, easy-paced, frequent walks, and gradually increase distance and speed.
• Watch your stride. As you progress with your walking program and want to intensify it, increase the number of steps you take, not the length of your stride. You don’t want to take longer strides than normal because doing so makes you more prone to injury.
• Buy a good, supportive walking shoe which has more of a rounded heel. (Running shoes are not recommended.)
• It’s important to stretch your calf muscles and the front and back of your thighs.

Free Personal Walk Evaluation:
Maximize your health benefits from walking in just 15 minutes. A physcial therapist from Lake Forest Hospital will examine your strength, flexibility, foot structure and gait pattern and provide a personalized exercise plan to streamline your stride. Screening takes 15 minutes. A reservation is required for the screening which will be set in late summer.

Lake Forest Hospital
October 7, 2008 6-8 pm
15-minute appointments available
All ages invited.
Registration is required.Call Lake Forest Hospital Sports Medicine department at 847-535-8063.