Smart Senior: Senior Health and Fitness: Winter Walking

?I love fall and winter!? I wouldn?t like living where the weather is the same all year around. ?The beauties of spring, summer, winter and fall are magical and need to be experienced to be believed.? The magic ends when accidents happen.? We can?t ignore the fact that incidents of slips, falls, and automobile accidents increase dramatically during the fall and winter months. ??It is hard to resist taking a walk on a beautiful fall or winter day, but soggy leaf piles and roads covered with snow and ice can be treacherous.

?Be careful whether you walk for exercise or just need to get safely from point A to point B.? You can?t stay indoors all winter long.? You can?t let winter hold you hostage.? It is important to be prepared and be extra mindful of your surroundings.? With a little extra effort you can keep on walking and enjoy the crisp sunny days.?

Be careful.? It is slippery out there.? Every block will present a new challenge.? Ice-free sidewalks are okay, but walking on packed snow requires more caution.? Take your time, walk slowly and take shorter steps on icy or snow covered sidewalks and streets.? Be extra wary of car traffic.? Inexperienced drivers may not be able to stop at crosswalks or may skid out of control when applying the breaks.

?It is dark later in the mornings and it gets dark earlier at night.? Do your walking during the nicest parts of the day (if you can).? I?ve had to move my 7-8 p.m. dog walk up to 2:30 in the afternoon and that is quite an adjustment for me.?? Keep warm.? Dress in layers, wear gloves, and a warm fuzzy head cover.?

Trade your sneakers in on good supportive walking boots or trail shoes.? They will provide better traction, and if you pick your route carefully you should be able to enjoy a nice winter outing.? Consider a walking stick with an ice-pick tip and remember that you can get slip-on traction devices that will fit right over your shoes.?? If you are walking for exercise you might want to reverse your normal route so that the wind will be at your back on the way home. ?Facing the wind when you are already exhausted can turn a pleasant outing into a nightmare. ??Don?t put your exercise routines on hold during fall and winter months.? If you don?t feel comfortable walking out of doors try mall walking, join a gym, or buy walking videos that you can do in? your own living room.? Enjoy the pleasures of walking every month of the year.

Source: http://lmb.typepad.com/smart_senior/2012/11/senior-health-and-fitness-winter-walking.html

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