Runner Advice and Help

Walking is a great activity that is good for those of us with sensitive joints. Besides this, walking has proven to be just as beneficial as any other cardio activity, which may come as a pleasant surprise to those of us who previously thought that the only way to a trim waistline was to pound out the miles on the treadmill at a blistering speed.

Contrary to what most have believed about exercise, walking is a great low-impact exercise that can be done just about anywhere. For example, when I used to work in an office, every now and then, I would get up and walk a loop around the building. Before I knew it, I had started a trend where each of my co-workers would periodically get up and go for a brief 2-3 minute walk. This is a great option for people like my former co-workers and myself, who are writers and programmers. Often times, as a writer, it is difficult to generate a topic or idea to write about; and even when you do, it is sometimes difficult to keep up the momentum without burning yourself out all together. Beyond this, it is important not to stay seated in one position for too long (as is often the case with those of us who work from home or in an office and are in the middle of writing something). You should get up and stretch your legs, perhaps even get some fresh air.

Most of the time, after a person comes back from a long walk, they will feel more rejuvenated and better able to focus on whatever the task is at hand. Granted, you don't want to disappear for too long on your walks; however, if you have a 30 minute or longer lunch, why not bring your sneakers with you and go for a fifteen to twenty minute walk? You can burn a significant amount of calories in even the briefest of walks without trying too hard.

Walking at work is something that is definitely catching on, and it's a great alternative for those people who work long days or spend a significant amount of time at the office and are doomed to get out when it is too dark to go for a run outside. There have been plenty of times when I felt somewhat devastated that I couldn't go for a run all because I had woken up too late to go for a run in the morning or because I had gotten out of work later than I thought. However, you don't have to feel limited by this anymore. Many employers are sensitive to their employees needs and have actually begun to provide them with facilities to work out or with a certain amount of allotted time each day within which they can fit an exercise routine into their schedule.

I used to meet up with a group of guys who worked for a major corporation near my apartment. Their employer not only had a full gym facility at their workplace, but they also allowed their employees an hour long "lunch" within which they could work out and eat before returning to work. During the week on certain days, I would sometimes meet up with this group of guys on their lunch break to hit the trails at a local park or to go to the track nearby and do track workouts. There are options out there to fit exercise into your schedule- whether it's walking, biking or running!