"Walkable Urbanism"

Yes I know...I haven't posted in over a month. I've been busy.

In the last 4 weeks, the price of gas has risen 50 cents a gallon. A friend of mine, the owner of a used car buseness (and--rarities of rarities--an honest, stand-up guy) tells me big cars aren't selling, smaller ones are. People are trading in their SUVs and vans for economical small cars. He even told me he is chaning the way he drives to save every ounce of gas he can. We spoke about how lucky we are to live in a small town where we can walk to most stores, and how people who live in subdivisions are really screwed because they must drive to do practically anything.

Now along comes this article on CNN, "Is America's suburban dream collapsing into a nightmare?" which talks about how the mortgage crisis, combined with the skyrocketing cost of gas, is causing families to abandon (or try in vain to sell) their suburban homes in favor of "walkable urban" living. It's an interesting read, and dovetails with what my friend the used car salesman and I have been discussing.

A nationwide lifestyle change is underway.

Cool tool: Use Google maps as a pedometer

This is a great little tool to help you plan walks based on how far you want to go. Called Google Map Pedometer, the tool lets select an area using Google maps, then (here's where it gets really cool) you click on points on the route and the total distance in miles or kilometers appears at the bottom. If you made a mistake, simply clear the route and start over again.

Here's what it looks like (I mapped out one of my walking routes):

Try it!

Work through it

Between airborne allergies and a viral infection I recently picked up, I've not been feeling up to snuff the last few days. But the words of my former shihan (Martial-arts school principal) have inspired me to action. Shihan Joel, you see, is diabetic, so whatever minor sniffles I have are nothing compared to what he must go through. So one day, several months ago at the beginning of a workout, Shihan came out to lead the class, and mentioned that he was feeling a bit ill, and he might not join us for all of the exercises. He was definitely dragging, and looking pale.

And yet, join us he did--and as the hour went on, he seemed to get stronger and by the end, he said he was feeling great. "Sometimes if you're feeling under the weather, it's better to just work through it," he told us. And there he was, looking energetic and back to his normal cheery self--proof of concept.

So today, I woke up with a full-blown head cold, dragged myself out of bed, and with Shihan's words ringing in my ears, took a slightly shorter than usual walk--40 minutes instead of an hour. I'd like to say that I came back full of energy, but the truth is, I didn't eat much of a breakfast and towards the end of the walk I felt my blood sugar level had dropped and was a bit dizzy. So I got home, had something to eat...and suddenly my energy came back! I'm still sniffly, but overall feeling better than I did when I woke up.

Moral? Walk through it.

10 great walking songs for your iPod!

Here's my ecclectic top 10 list of songs with walking in the title or prominently in the lyrics, in no particular order:

I Walk The Line - Johnny Cash
Walk of Life - Dire Straits
Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed
Walking on Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves
Walking on the Sun - Smashmouth
Boulevard of Broken Dreams (I walk alone) - Green Day
Walk This Way - Aerosmith
I'm Walkin' - Fats Domino
Walk Like A Man - The Four Seasons
Walk Away Renee - The Left Bank

And the bonus novelty song? What else but...
These Boots Were Made for Walking - Nancy Sinatra

There are so many more...what are your favorite walking songs?

My new hero

Phil Novak, of North Braddock, PN, is my hero, and might soon be yours, too. Weighing 387 pounds 2 years ago, he was so obese that, at age 39 he thought he was going to die because of all the strain the weight was putting on his heart. To start losing weight, he started walking--an hour a day--and eating a low-carb diet.

He lost 100 pounds in 7 months, just by walking an hour a day.

Phil's story is subject of this report on CNN.com.

Are you inspired yet?

Who is this guy?

I've just realized that after 15 posts, I really haven't shared who I am or what motivated me to start walking and blogging about it. Here goes.

I am a 51-year-old white male living in the Northeastern United States. I have been a vegetarian most of my life, and am an observant Jew. I have worked most of my professional career as a writer and editor for a variety of photography-related publications and web sites. I currently find myself working out of my house after many years commuting to New York City, and after working at home for a while I discovered that the walking that used to be built into my day (walking to the train station, walking 10 blocks to pick up lunch) was gone. To make up for it, at first I went to the local "Y" but that closed down. I then went to a local gym, but the cost ($80 a month) was hard to justify. Nevertheless, I went there 3-4 times a week, ran for 10 minutes on the treadmill and worked out on the various lower and upper body devices, and lifted weights a bit.

Then my back went out.

In December 2006, as my father was dying of cancer and I was full of stress (he passed away in January 2007), on a Sunday morning, I sprained my sacral iliac, and was basically in pain 24/7 and barely able to stand up or walk for about 2 weeks. A month later I was back on my feet, but weakened by the sudden lack of exercise. Over the last year, the pain has come and gone, and every time I'd get back on an exercise program the pain would return within a week.

Then I decided to take a walk. A long one.

I walked about 3 miles that first day, in late February 2008, and came back feeling great. Over the next week I increased that to 4-5 miles a day, which is what I do now on an almost daily basis.

I feel stronger, my back feels better, my stamina and energy levels have improved, and my weight has dropped from 173 on Feb. 28 to 164 this morning. My walks give me time to think about health, life, the universe and everything. I am hoping to start an upper body regimen under the watchful eye of my chiropractor in the coming weeks, but the effects of walking have been immediate and gratifying.

I make time every day--about an hour--for walking. I have started to become one of those annoying people who says "you should walk more, it's good for you!" to my friends. I hope I'm not annoying them, especially those who are overweight and need to get their blood flowing and to get other weight-related ailments under control. But I have become an advocate for walking because I see the difference it has made for me.

And as I have started to tell everyone, if you don't have time for a long walk, take a short one. You don't need to join a club, pay a membership fee, or drive to some distant gym. All you need to do is open your front door, and take the first step.

That's my story...what's yours?

Don't schlep!

How you walk is as important as how long or far you walk. Stride right, and you will improve posture and back issues; walk the wrong way and you could introduce problems with your back or legs. And if you walk slowly, you might get some benefit, but nothing like the benefit you get from doing a power walk using good walking form.

Here are some things I do to get a good workout (I base my walking tips on conversations with doctors, physical therapists, and chiropractors) :

1. Moderate strides at a fast pace. Taking too big a stride can put a strain on your hips and back.
2. Push off the toes. It took several weeks of consciously adjusting my stride to do this, but I now find if I push off my toes with each stride, I am propelled faster and move quickly. It's a better workout and it uses more muscles in the feet and legs.
3. No "sidewinder" motions with the arms. I sometimes see speedwalkers flinging their arms way in front of them, then swing them high behind them. This is wasted movement that again may put a strain on the upper back and neck. Smaller, arm movements work better.

The overall idea is to walk fast with shorter strides, and make it as aerobic as possible. After 20-30 minutes, I'm usually sweating. If I'm not, I haven't walked fast enough!

Feel free to add your walking tips in the comments!

Interesting changes brought on by walking

Since I started walking five weeks ago, several interesting things have happened in my life (in addition to starting this blog):

1. I have more energy.
2. I don't feel so "creaky" when I get up after sitting at my desk working all day.
3. I am more focused on my work after I walk.
4. The price of gas has gone up 75 cents a gallon.
5. I've lost 7 pounds...and kept them off.

In addition to the personal benefits, I have gotten comments from friends and neighbors. "I see you walking all over the place!" one exclaimed as he drove by yesterday morning. Last night I was talking with a friend about walking. "It's great exercise, if you have the time," he said. "I made the time," I responded. He sighed. "I really should start walking again," he admitted.

A few of my friends have pulled over and offered me rides. "No thanks, I'm walking," is my response. "Good for you!" they shout as they drive away.

Maybe I should make a T-shirt...

Let me know you stopped by...leave a comment!

This blog's just getting off the ground and I know that just as with walking, launching a blog starts with a single step. But I know the blog is starting to get visitors. So if you're reading my blog, I hope you'll leave a message and let me know you paid a visit.

Feel free to share your walking stories and ideas for how I can make this a more useful and informative destination for walkers!

Walking is on our minds...

Looks like other bloggers are encouraging people to walk instead of taking their cars, for all the same reasons: Be green, save gas, stay in shape. Find blog posts about the gas crisis benefits of walking here, here, and here.

Might we be seeing the beginning of a movement?