The Best Walk

Is work interfering with your walking?

On work days I walk at lunchtime. On weekends, I have the time to take a longer walk. But what I’d really like to do is take even longer walks, but the limiting factor is work. So, did I just state the obvious? Isn’t is normal that work prevents us from doing what we really like? The honest answer is no - seriously. If you live in some parts of the world, you spend too much time at work and in the United States you win first prize. I’m not sure what can be done about it, but the next time you feel like you need more time off - you probably do! Take a look at this…

Average annual vacation days taken

Italy 42 - France 37 - Germany 35 - Brazil 34
Britain 28 - Canada 26 - South Korea 25 - Japan 25
U.S. 13

Source: www.hrmguide.net

The key words are “days taken” because many do not take all of the vacation days earned. Another survey came up with these numbers.

COUNTRY	AVERAGE HOURS WORKED PER YEAR	AVERAGE ANNUAL VACATION DAYS
United States	1,966	10.2
Japan	1,889	17.5
United Kingdom	1,731	25
France	1,656	25–30

Source: www.gaebler.com

So who cares? We work longer and as a result we have a higher standard of living - right? Yes, we have a higher standard of living and guess what? Our stress levels are higher. www.hrmguide.net reports the following:

• 34% of 632 respondents said their jobs were so pressing that they had no down time at work

• 32% work and eat lunch at the same time

• 32% do not leave the building during the working day

• 19% said that their job makes them feel older than they are

• 17% said work caused them to lose sleep at home

So maybe I shouldn’t want more walking time. After all I do take my lunch break and I have my weekends. I don’t have as much time as they do in other countries, but I have time. Right? Well, maybe… The problem is that I do want more time and I don’t want to spend it at work.

What does longer hours have to do with getting things done? In most cases, very little. In some cases, longer hours causes fatigue and destroys creativity. The idea of a forty hour work week comes from the days of piece work - the more hours you worked, the more stuff you put together. But in today’s work environment we could easily accomplish the same amount of work in thirty two hours if we put our mind to it. There’s a chance the quality would be better and more product improvement ideas would surface. Would management agree? Probably not unless they knew for sure that less hours would improve everyone’s productivity. What if your job was entirely performance based? Maybe you could complete your assignments in half the time. A performance based job would certainly make us take another look at the number of useless meetings we attend and the unnecessary emails we read.

But I just want more walking time. Can anyone tell me how to walk more and keep my job? (Please don’t mention “treadmill” - I like being outside.)

Filed under: Walk for Health on October 1st, 2007 | No Comments »

At the end of this month we’ll be in Calcinelli, Italy to visit our son Scott, his wife Elisa, and our grand daughter Matilde. Calcinelli a small section of Saltara (Calcinelli di Saltara) near Ancona. It’s located close to the Adriatic coast of Italy but its far enough inland to offer great views of the hilly countryside. (See the yellow are of the map.) The area near their house in Calcinelli offers excellent walking areas as does the coastal town of Fano. In a short drive we can visit walled cities such as Urbino and San Marino. (Well actually San Marino isn’t a city, it’s a tiny country.)

The area we’re visiting is in the region of Marche, not far from Tuscany, and it has similar scenery. The routine will be to start the day with a walk before breakfast. The morning plans, well we have made morning plans yet. But in the afternoon we’ll either visit some of the walled cities or just hang around with our grandchild. At night we’ll toggle between going out to eat and eating in. Both Elisa and Scott are excellent cooks.

Basically it will be a low to moderate activity vacation - which is fine. It’s very relaxing and its always interesting because of where it is. The last time we stayed there I would get up early and start walking to uptown Calcinelli. The walk on the other side of the main street offers several long scenic walks. I would walk for a couple of hours then try to discover a way back using a different route. (I carried a cell phone in case I really messed up.) Not being able to communicate with anyone (due to a lack of language skills) and the quietness of the area, the walk is virtually done in total silence. There’s plenty of time to get exercise, fresh air, and relaxation.

So stay tuned. The internet service from Calcinelli is excellent and there will definitely be several posts during the vacation. We’ll arrive there during last days of October and stay for two weeks. Can’t wait!

Filed under: Italy on October 3rd, 2007 | No Comments »

Many of us are walking faster than we used to. According to BBC News, we’re walking about ten percent faster. The report goes on to point out that this isn’t good news:

“The world is speeding up. Pace around the world is 10% faster than ever before. That’s not great for our health. As people speed up in their lives they are not eating properly, exercising or seeing friends and family. All these things can lead to all kinds of things, especially heart attacks.”

“People who walk fast are also more likely to speak and eat quickly, wear a watch and get impatient, he says. They don’t like to sit still, sit in traffic or wait in queues.” - BBC

For what it’s worth, my feeling on this is that people walk fast for two reasons:

• They’re in a hurry.
• They want a better physical workout and they know the faster pace helps.

But there is more than the physical benefit to walking. Under the right conditions (like not being in a hurry) walking also provides excellent mental conditioning. If you’re not hurrying, the walk relieves stress and enhances creative thinking. In my opinion, a slower but longer walk is The Best Walk.

Filed under: Walk for Health on October 7th, 2007 | No Comments »

After wondering what well known walk on a regular basis, I found this list at (Google Answers. As I read through it, I have to admit that I didn’t recognize every name. Fortunately, the author provides some help in parenthesis.

JANE FONDA (ACTRESS, FITNESS EXPERT)
http://www.jane-fonda.net/walkout.htm
“Walking and hiking are two of Jane’s favourite forms of aerobic
exercise. Fitness walking is an easy, convenient way to burn fat while
improving muscle tone and building cardiovascular strength.”

KIM ALEXIS (SUPERMODEL)
http://www.integritymusic.com/worship/worart/0801.html
“The next time you say to yourself, “I don’t have time to exercise,”
think again. Chances are you could fit in a 15-minute brisk walk twice
a day. If you can’t get out to do something fun, try making your work
day a play day by adding short bouts of walking activity whenever you
can.”

DENISE AUSTIN (FITNESS EXPERT)
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/denise_austin_trimwalk/
“ESPN’S “Getting Fit” Host Denise Austin covers the benefits of
walking in this program, defining the walker’s proper form and basic
walking principles, with a strengthening and stretching segment to
wind down after your walk.”

DAVID WARNER (ACTOR)
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/1941/quotes.html
“I have exercised very hard, including four-mile walks every day”

SENATOR ROBERT BUNDA (HAWAII)
http://www.islandscene.com/health/2001/010103/rightcall/page2.asp
“Bunda also takes daily walks in Wahiawa. “I’m up to over an hour of
walking every day,” he says proudly. “I wouldn’t miss it!”

JOHN GLENN (FORMER SENATOR AND FAMOUS ASTRONAUT)
http://www.niapublications.org/exercisebook/foreword.htm
“In my case, I had to make accommodations to my advancing years by
modifying my exercise regime. In the past, I was an ardent jogger, but
as I got older my doctor said that the impact of running was putting
too much stress on my knees and other joints. He suggested that I take
up speed walking instead. Along with that, I do some weight lifting
and stretching.”

CONGRESSWOMAN DONNA M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSEN (VIRGIN ISLANDS)
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_9_56/ai_76285230
“But what I do during my workday is make sure I go out of my way to
put in extra walking and not scrimping by riding on the capitol’s
train between buildings.”

JULIE ANDREWS (ACTRESS, SINGER)
http://www.julieandrews.co.uk/news_arc11_main.htm
“At this point in her life, Andrews takes nothing for granted,
including her health. She exercises five days a week, though she
freely admits, “I’m not a fanatic. I do as little as possible in order
to stay in shape.” In addition to walking and swimming, she has her
own 40-minute formula: a combination of stretches, yoga and
ballet-barre maneouvers.”

NATALIE RAITANO (ACTRESS MODEL)
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0675/is_3_19/ai_75085418
“Walking to me is one of the best cardio exercises anybody can do for
their body. That and the hula hoop”

ART GARFUNKEL (SINGER)
http://www.artgarfunkel.com/articles/record.htm
“Walking is very primal,” Garfunkel says. “It’s extremely basic. You
begin to see how it works the body. The body likes to relax. It’s
wonderful for breathing and it tones up the physical self. I stay at
hotels at night and do 15 to 20 miles a day. I sing along with my
Walkman - walking allows me to sing very loudly - and write in my
journal.” Walking and writing are more than hobbies for Garfunkel.”

I hope you find that my research exceeds your expectations. If you
have any questions about my research please post a clarification
request prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating
and your final comments and I look forward to working with you again
in the near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga – Google Answers Research

Filed under: Uncategorized on October 12th, 2007 | No Comments »

Generally walking doesn’t become a high priority until a health problem arises. At that point all other events take a back seat, the walks get longer and more enjoyable, and if the health problem wasn’t too serious, the recovery is swift.

But if there isn’t a health problem most of us will allow our walks to be shortened, postponed, or even canceled for an apparent emergency. Looking back at the various reasons why walks were interrupted, there really weren’t that many emergencies. They events may have seemed critical at the time, but working longer or running a lunch time errand should not have gone to the top of the list.

I’ve learned that the only way to ensure that there’s time for walking is to use some time management techniques. Try this:

1. Write down all the things you need to do in a day – at home and at work. Make sure you include your walk.
2. From that list figure out what shouldn’t be there. Is there anything that you don’t have to do?
3. Read through the list again. What can you get someone else to do? Can you hire somebody to do it. Can in be outsourced or delegated. Could the job be done better by someone else? If so can you convince somebody (like your boss) to give the project to someone else? (This is a good time to use selective ignorance.)
4. From the remaining items decide which tasks have to be done right away. Write down a plan to accomplish those ite.
5. Don’t allow any interruptions. Go three or so hours without check email. Let messages go to voicemail. Put a set of headphones on so you won’t be able to hear the familiar “Go a minute?”
6. Get out of meetings. Decline if possible. If your at a meeting, suddenly reach for you cell phone. Then apologize saying “Sorry. Something has come up.”
7. Structure your schedule so that you have two major completions a day. If possible, make one a high profile completion.
8. Use your telephone more and email less. Direct contact is usually faster than a string of emails.
9. If possible, avoid anything that you’re not interested in.
10. Keep yourself organized.

If you do all of the above, there will be plenty of time for walking. Here’s the best part:

If you stay n the walking routine, this becomes real easy. Walking provides the necessary mental reset and change of pace.

Filed under: Uncategorized on October 15th, 2007 | No Comments »

Is Fall the best time of the year to walk?

I think it is. Certainly living in New England plays into my opinion. If you’ve ever been here in the Fall, you know why. The colors are spectacular and this year is no exception. So for the last couple of weeks my walks have become lot more interesting - there’s just more to look at! And it’s not just me. The number of coworkers walking at lunchtime has tripled.

Today’s lunchtime walk was bright and sunny drawing more attention wooded areas. As a matter of fact that walk was so enjoyable, I’ve rearranged tomorrow’s schedule so I can walk an extra hour. After all, these colors don’t last all that long.

Foliage isn’t the only reason why Fall walks are the best. The air is cooler with a cleaner feel to it. There’s hardly any bugs out and the ground is dry.

There also seems to be more time for walking in the Fall. There’s less lawn mowing to do, less social commitments, and less trips to the beach.

Of course walking is good in all seasons. Each season offers its own uniqueness. I’ve had some great Winter walks in the snow. But for me Fall is the perfect season for walking.

Filed under: New England on October 16th, 2007 | No Comments »

This Thursday I’ll be making a business trip to Ottawa. It’s somewhat of a short flight from Boston and we will arrive there well before we have to be anywhere - this means there’s time for a walk! I’ve suggested that we drive to a nice area, then walk around. The feedback I received was that all of Ottawa is nice - just pick a spot and enjoy it. I wasn’t that surprised to hear that. So far all of my trips to Canada have been great.Web browsing has taught me a little about Ottawa. Previously I knew that Canada’s Parliament was there. That’s it. Here what I know now:

• Ottawa’s previous name was Bytown. Bytown was renamed to Ottawa in 1855
• Ottawa is on the bank’s of the Ottawa River which was used to transport logs.
• Ottawa is Canada’s fourth largest city
• Ottawa is on the Quebec/Ontario border
• “Advance” is the motto of Ottawa
• The population of Ottawa is over 350,000.
• Ottawa is home to one major league sports team, the Ottawa Senators.

So with this new found information, I’m ready to get up there and walk. I have no doubt that Ottawa is the beautiful city that I’ve heard and read about.

Filed under: Canada on October 20th, 2007 | No Comments »

Just about every time I take a walk in the woods somebody will asksme about ticks. It used to be that I would shrug my shoulders and say “I guess they’re not attracted to me.”. Well, last Spring one found me. I found it in my sock later that night. The issue of course is Lyme Disease. Well, it’s somewhat of an issue. It’s true that ticks cause Lyme Disease, but it’s also true that the disease is very rare. How many people do you know that have had a case of it?

So what should you do about ticks?

• Keep covered with long pants, long sleeve shirts, hat, socks, etc.

• If you spot a tick while walking, remove it.

• Use insect repellent with DEET or permethrin.

• Check yourself for ticks after the walk.

I guess another way to avoid ticks is to avoid walking in fields or in the woods. The problem with that is that you could be avoiding some of the best walks. My advice… Walk in the woods. Take the precautions seriously, but go for the walk. Lyme Disease presents a low risk. By taking the precautions, there’s almost no risk.

Filed under: General on October 24th, 2007 | No Comments »

Today I traveled to Ottawa on a business trip. Two of us took an Air Canada flight in From Boston. From there we drove to Kanata for our meeting. By three in the afternoon our were on our way back to Ottawa and ready to go for a walk. The weather was cool and sunny - a perfect Autumn day for a walk.

We parked and headed for Sparks Street which only allows pedestrians. This area is tastefully filled with restaurants, coffee shops, souvenir stands. The were others walking there, but not enough to for me to say it was crowded. The pedestrian area goes for several blocks and as you cross the streets you can see into the other downtown sections. There are many tall office buildings and each has its own style. Many of the building have a well decorated from entrance… flower pots, etc.

Next we walked over to Wellington street and along the river dividing the Ontario and Quebec provinces. Above the river here is a walkway along the river and a railing. While walking along the trail there are monuments, gardens, and great views of the city. We stopped to look at Canada’s Parliament Buildings, watch a few squirrels, and to read some of the engraved plaques on the monuments. At this point it became obvious that Ottawa is a beautiful city and the citizens work hard to keep it that way.

After that it was time to head back to the car. On the way back we saw that the sidewalk was getting crowded in the area of the bus stops. Work was getting out and it was obvious that the government was a primary employer. As we arrived at the car, we found a parking ticket. (I guess the three US Quarters didn’t do the job. In less than an hour we were having a beer at the airport.

It was a great day to be in Ottawa!

Filed under: Canada on October 25th, 2007 | No Comments »