Megan!
I'm surprised you didn't find the answers you're looking for in the fitness forum. They're experts at this kind of thing; several current and former physical trainers are active there.
Here's what the CDC recommends for basic health.
Quote:
Cardio or aerobic activities.
Achieve the aerobic activity recommendation through one of the following options:
A minimum of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per day (such as brisk walking) most days of the week
or
A minimum of 20 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity (such as jogging or running) 3 days a week
Resistance, strength-building, and weight-bearing activities.
Two days a week, incorporate strength training into your routine. Strength training activities, such as weight lifting, maintain and increase muscle strength and endurance. A goal to reach towards is completing 6-8 strength training exercises, with 8–12 repetitions per exercise.
You'll find definitions of moderate activity and more at
their website.
Have you checked out the Supercharged book yet? I haven't read the exercise part yet, but my understanding is that it's very explicit about the types of and amounts of exercise that will best melt fat and build muscle (which you want, because muscle burns calories, even when you're sleeping, so it "revs" your metabolism). You should definitely check it out!
If you can't afford a copy right now, the local library should have it.
I'd definitely recommend posting your questions in the Fitness forum too. They are really knowledgeable there!
I find that using my iPod and listening to podcasts helps me feel much more empowered to walk. A friend of mine listens to books on tape while she walks and that really gets her going.
Loriann, I think you'll find that Jade will make you walk in the winter...our pup does that to me. I'm not a big fan of it, but to see her romping in the snow makes it a lot more fun.
However, on those days when you just can't do it, try the Walking Away The Pounds (WATP) videos (they have them at the library). You can do those in your living room and they're fun!
You'll get even more out of your walks if you do interval training,
Megan. Basically, it means walking at a moderate pace for a prescribed period of time, then doing something that really gets your heartrate up (like jumping jacks) for a short period, then back to walking, over and over. You can learn more at these links:
How to Design an Interval Walking Plan (here's a quote from this article:
Quote:
If you regularly walk for exercise, your usual workout may have become a bit drab and boring. But adding intervals to your walking plan can make it fun and interesting--and you'll burn more calories, too!
Walking Interval Training (complete with video how-tos)
How to walk off the belly fat (From CNN Health)
Interval Training Jumping Jacks (with video)
How to Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training for Optimal Fat Loss (this is pretty high tech, but if you can understand it, I think it might be helpful. It was hard for me!)
