Energy Express by Marilynn Preston

Everything about walking is good for your health. It builds strength, reduces your risk of heart disease, juices up your joints, calms your mind, and helps you and your poodle live longer, happier lives.

There are some who still scoff at walking, dismissing it as exercise lite, not cool, maybe even a waste of your recreational time. These people — many of them wearing some form of Lycra — can be listened to, but not believed. Even a little bit of walking goes a long way, according to a recent issue of Harvard Men's Health Watch.

Two scientists who sifted through 4,295 articles published on walking between 1970 and 2007 concluded that even a modest walking program offers significant protection against many medical problems associated with old age. Death, for instance.

How modest is modest? This may surprise you: Walking has protective benefits even if you just manage to walk 5.5 miles over the course of a week, going as slowly as 2 miles per hour.

So what if you're passed by great-grandmothers and tiny children? Be happy to know you're starting where you are and improving your health, step-by step. You can always pick up the pace as your confidence grows and your body adjusts.

This month has been dubbed Walktober. It has nothing to do with Chinese stir fry and everything to do with a national campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of walking. The greatest benefits, it must be said, accrued to people who walked longer distances, walked at a faster pace or both.

What will get you started? A new pedometer? An old friend? One proven way is to just show up. Dress for the weather, and tell yourself you'll stop after 5 minutes if you don't like it. Then learn to like it, and keep going. Keep breathing. If you get tired, rest. If you get bored, amuse yourself with some cheerful music or an audiobook.

Do keep in mind that everything extra you plug into your ear, and your brain, will distract you from the deep-seated joy of walking: that is, exploring the link between mind and body and breath that is so stimulating, satisfying and soothing to your whole system.

Do NOT — and I don't mind repeating myself here, in case you're simultaneously reading this column and driving your car — do NOT talk on your cell phone while walking.

This is a form of multitasking that taxes the brain, jams the energy circuits and otherwise makes your walking time less beneficial than it can be.

Plus walking while talking on your cell looks stupid.

Plus it shows a kind of an addiction to technology that is anti-health and, I believe, pro brain tumors.

Here are a few more of the million tips I could give you about one of my favorite sports:

— Wear Proper Shoes. Walking in worn out, ill-fitting shoes can cause injuries over time. You don't need an expensive pair of walking shoes, but you do need a pair that fits well, with proper cushioning and support. At the end of this article, I'm going to tell you about a great place to send your worn-out shoes.

— Quicken the Pace. Once you've established the habit of going for a walk — 30 to 60 minutes a day can change your life — challenge yourself to pick up the pace. Look ahead, to a nearby tree or intersection, and walk toward your goal taking quicker steps, not longer ones. Push, push, push ... then relax. It's a variation on the theme of interval training and a great way to step up your walking routine.

— Use Your Arms. Have you ever seen a racewalker? They can do 5 minute miles — walking! — and one secret to their jet propulsion is clever use of their wings. Instead of letting your arms dangle at your side, do what they do and bend your arms to a 90-degree angle, elbows close to your body. As you walk — shoulders relaxed, eyes focused ahead (not down) — pump your arms forward and back with purpose and passion.

Walking is good for your health, and so is charitable giving. Soles4Souls is a Nashville-based nonprofit that collects new and gently worn shoes and distributes them to people in need all over the world. Please visit www.giveshoes.org, and be grateful you have used walking shoes to give.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O! FOOT LOOSE AND FANCY FREE

"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time." — Stephen Wright

Marilynn Preston — fitness expert, personal trainer and speaker on healthy lifestyle issues — is the creator of Energy Express, the longest-running syndicated fitness column in the country. She has a Website, http://marilynnpreston.com and welcomes reader questions, which can be sent to MyEnergyExpress@aol.com. To find out more about Preston and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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