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Exercise is a great way to say “te amo”
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Sure, chocolate is a popular gift of love. So is a calorie-laden gourmet dinner at a romantic restaurant. But is it really? Don’t you think the gift of a happy, healthy you is best of all? Stick with that New Year’s resolution and kill another bird with that stone, so to speak, by proposing this mutual gift to your partner for Valentine’s Day: a fitness-walking regimen you can do together.
More than half of adults – men and women equally – resolve to make improvements in both health and wealth in the New Year, yet more than half of Americans find excuses not to exercise – and the No. 1 excuse is lack of time. But hey, there’s plenty of time to catch up on eight episodes of DVRed “Dexter” or spend a whole evening social networking. Gotta check Facebook to see what cousin Hector is doing in Texas. He could be mowing the lawn.
You have to schedule exercise in your life, that’s all there is to it. And if you commit to it with someone you care about, you’re more likely to stick to it. Besides, what better way is there to spend time with your honey than getting healthy?
It’s easy and so good for you
One of the easiest, least expensive, most favorable forms of exercise is walking. Take it up a notch to fitness walking and you exponentially gain in physical and psychological ways. Fitness walk with your partner and you’re on your way to all-around bliss. We all know the benefits: strong heart, toned muscles, increased sexual appetite, improved self-esteem, better sleep, increased sexual appetite … oh. We said that.
Fitness walking is not to be confused with power or race walking. The term “power walking” implies exaggerated strides and arm movements that can cause injuries; race walking is that hip-swiveling Olympic event. Fitness walking is purposeful, done at an energetic pace that engages upper-body muscles so that it becomes an aerobic exercise, burning more calories than just a stroll through the park.
Even though skeptics may think of this form of exercise as a very low-impact workout, the health benefits are truly impressive. Sandra Franks, senior program director at the Ahwatukee YMCA, says that if done correctly, a fitness walk “definitely has its place in a well-rounded fitness program.” It burns approximately the same calories as running, without the wear and tear on ligaments and joints. Fitness walking also tones muscles in the buttocks, thighs, hips, abdomen, upper back, and shoulders. It also increases cardiovascular endurance and speeds up metabolism. Not bad for just walking.
Despite all the benefits, fitness walking seems to carry a certain stigma, as if it’s not manly enough for men to consider real exercise. But it’s not just women who need to lose weight and take care of their hearts. “A growing number of men are discovering the fat-loss merits of [fitness] walking,” says Franks. “Men should not be wary of this predominately women’s fitness phenomenon.” (Are you reading this, chavalos?)
