Start walking for your well-being

Zoomer | April 2nd, 2013

<i>Part 1 of a 4-part series on active living fueled by BOOST<sup>®</sup> Meal Replacement Drink</i>

Spring has arrived with warmer weather, longer days and nature in full bloom. Now is the ideal time to re-focus on your health and well-being by starting a walking program. ParticipACTION Canada outlines the positive health benefits of being active, including better circulation, improved blood cholesterol profile, lower blood pressure, stronger bones, reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes, plus improved mood, memory and cognition. “Walking is an ideal physical activity for adults over the age of 45 because, regardless of health concerns, anyone can pretty much walk,” says Lauren Jawno, author and certified personal trainer. “It’s portable, requires little training or equipment, can be done indoors at a mall, on a treadmill, or outdoors, alone or with a friend.” Here are six steps to start your walking program and stay motivated this spring.

Start slowly if you’ve been inactive or recovering from an injury or illness. Exercise should be at a level that makes it difficult to carry on a conversation, but not so hard that you’re out of breath. Health Canada recommends walking 10,000 steps a day.

Good walking shoes are vital. “Visit an athletic retailer and get a good pair of shoes,” recommends Jawno. “Watch the treads of the soles of the shoes, and when they start wearing down, you need to replace them.”

Fuel your walking program with proper nutrition. A balanced, healthy diet that includes carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals provides a solid nutritional foundation for your walking program. Pre and post-exercise nutrition like BOOST^® Meal Replacement drink has 26 essential vitamins and minerals your body needs, including calcium for strong bones as well as carbohydrates to fuel your walk and 10 grams of protein in each serving to aid in muscle recovery.

Set a goal. “If you’re not measuring anything, it can feel like you’re not making progress when you are,” says Jawno. “Consider training for a charity walk; it gives each workout a purpose, so you’re more motivated to exercise.”

Walk outside. Being outside, even for a short period, lifts your spirits, boosts self-esteem and short-circuits stress. Walking on grass or earth, with its natural variations, also gives your legs more of a workout than pavements and subtly challenges your balance, which tends to diminish with age. Find a piece of nature—city websites often list parks and trails so check there first.

Stay well hydrated. Drink early and often while walking. Even mild dehydration depletes energy, causes lethargy and makes your thoughts fuzzy. A meal replacement shake, like BOOST^®, can help provide some of the important fluid your body needs post-exercise.

Available in 4 delicious flavours—chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and mocha.To help you get going we’ve created the BOOST^® BE ACTIVE™ Program. Visit boostnutrition.ca today to join and we’ll send you our FREE Be Active Welcome Kit. It’s filled with useful tips to get you started, plus savings on your next BOOST^® purchase!

Good Nutrition Fuels an Active Lifestyle

Great tasting BOOST^® Meal Replacement is a complete nutritional drink with protein to help build strong muscles and calcium to help maintain strong bones. All of which allows you to focus on the activities and people you love most.

Visit the nutrition aisle of your favourite retailer today and make the commitment to: Stay Strong, Stay Active with BOOST ^®.™