In fact, according to Lawrence Frank of the University of British Columbia, “Every additional 30 minutes spent in a car each day translates into a 3 percent greater chance of being obese,” he said.

Unfortunately, many American cities are not made for walking. As David Goldberg of Smart Growth America (a coalition of nonprofit groups that works to improve town and city planning) says “We have designed cities to suppress walking”  But times have changed and now the cities need to look at ways to move away from car culture and focus more on the health of their residents. This can be done through urban renewal projects and also through education.

In the meantime, here’s a few ways to get those daily 10,000 steps…

•  use public transport wherever possible and get off a stop or two before you need to and walk the rest of the way
• don’t aim for the closest car park at the shopping mall. Instead, park further away and walk.
• do a lap or two of the shopping mall before going into the supermarket or department store.

Of course, you could always move to one of these more pedestrian friendly cities.

(news source and image)

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Jim

who has won the ChiWalking DVD and Book

and

   Suganthi

who has won the ChiRunning DVD and Book

Congratulations Jim and Suganthi. You should be receiving an email shortly with directions on how and where to provide your mailing address.

As for the rest of us, we can discover more about the ChiWalking and ChiRunning programs by checking out these two trailers – ChiWalking and ChiRunning – and the website for more information and resources.

And don’t forget, ‘every day is a giveaway’ this month at Healthbolt.

Post from: Healthbolt

The Life Fitness Premium Digital Pedometer is easy to use and has the following features…

• Display readings include steps, aerobic steps, calories and distance

• Dual acceleration sensor enables use even when sitting in a pocket or purse

• Security strap attaches to clothing

• A seven day history enables you to review an entire week of exercise

• Automatic energy saver to extend battery life

It’s just the thing to make sure you’re hitting the recommended  10,000 steps a day mark.

Want it?

Then leave a comment by20th Dec and tell us how many steps you think you do every day. Then if you win the Life Fitness Premium Digital Pedometer, you can find out if you are right.

This one is only for US residents.

The winners will be announced on 21st December and sent an email with the subject heading ‘Healthbolt Giveaway Winner’ with instructions on how to claim their prize.

And don’t forget it’s ‘every day a giveaway’ this month at Healthbolt.

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Me, I’m a walker.

Whenever the weather’s good, I head for the beach, the park, or the forest to walk for an hour or two. I have no technique – I simply put one foot in front of the other. I thought that’s all I needed to do to get fit and healthy.

But having spent a little time reading up about ChiWalking, I’m starting to change my mind. Walking should be much more than simply one foot in front of the other.

ChiWalking is a unique program that utilizes the principles and orientation as Yoga, Pilates, and T’ai Chi to help people work with core muscles, integrate the mind and body, and focuse on overall and long term performance and well-being.

Now, I haven’t had a chance to try out the ChiWalking program but I’m seriously thinking about it.

And you can too if you enter in for a chance to win either a ChiWalking Book and DVD or a ChiRunning Book and DVD. Healthbolt has one of each to give away.

The ChiWalking Book and DVD offers a ‘menu’ of 12 different types of walks to choose from, each of which acts to improve a specific aspect of your mind-body health. Other topics covered include to how to develop a personalized walking program, hiking, diet, treadmill workouts, pre-walk loosening exercises, post-walk stretches and great tips for maintaining a continual freshness in your walking regimen.

The ChiRunning Book and DVD that looks at how to run properly and prevent the pain and injury often associated with running. You’ll be given instruction on race training, trail running, interval training, and endurance running as well as diet and nutrition for peak performance.

So back to my original question – are you a walker or a runner? Which Book and DVD do you want?

Leave a comment with your answer before 15th December and you might just come away a winner.

It’s only open to US Residents.

The winners will be announced on 16th December and sent an email with the subject heading ‘Healthbolt Giveaway Winner’ with instructions on how to claim their prize.

And don’t forget it’s ‘everyday a giveaway’ this month at Healthbolt.

Post from: Healthbolt

Image details: Group of woman walking served by picapp.com

Sure, you talk the talk…but do you walk the walk?

If you’re walking without a pedometer, probably not.

See, most people aren’t all that good at monitoring their own progress. They tend to overestimate the amount of effort (or in the case of walking, the amount of steps) they’ve accumulated. It’s human nature – we like to think we’re better than we are – or at least more ambitious.

However…

According to a study by the University of Michigan, wearing a pedometer (a small computer worn on your waist which measures the amount of steps you take) may keep you moving 20 to 40 minutes longer than those who go technology free.

So for a little investment up front (you can score a basic model totally on the cheap or spring for a more tricked-out model with all the bells and whistles) the result can be great fitness success later on. Sounds like a good trade-off to me, no?

So, do you already use a pedometer while walking? Does it keep you motivated?

Are you thinking of trying it?

Let us know in the comments below…

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X-rays as Art? Apparently so. You can find out more about contemporary X-Ray photography artists over at Cultcase. They highlight five artists that convert X-rays into Art.

By the way, did you know that May is National Bike Month? To help you get into the biking groove, Fitness for Mommies explains how to Go from ‘rookie cyclist’ to ‘respected newbie’ with these tips and Smarter Fitter discusses Bicycle Fitting for the Ladies.

Meanwhile over at Fat Man Unleashed, guest blogger Sarah Scrafford suggests that you should Pound the Pavement to Keep Vacation Pounds Away.

FitHacks offers a list of the Top 10 Worst Ways to Lose Weight.

Nerd’s Do It Better lists 25 Ailments That Can Be Cured by Having Sex.

And the New York Times Well Blog looks at the lack of airplane etiquette and asks ‘What’s Really in That Seat-Back Pocket?’ . It’s enough to put you off flying for good!

That’s it.

Have you got any to add?

Leave a comment and let us know your best blog posts this week…

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