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Sunday, December 15, 2024

Getting Paleo Fit...Start Exercise Program Now!©

 

 


Author’s note -- I hope that you enjoy learning from this resource!  To help me to continue to provide valuable free content, please consider showing your appreciation by leaving a donation HERE.  Thank you and Happy Trails!

 



First, I am not a doctor or a physical therapist, so the following are simply suggestions and some things to look for in an exercise program.  However, these ideas might help you develop an exercise plan with a mix of high intensity interval training and low intensity, steady state exercise.

 


First, get a step counter and go out for a walk at a steady comfortable pace and find out how long it takes you to complete 10,000 steps.  Your walking pace will fall into one of the following brackets:

·       Slow pace of  60-79 steps per minute, about 2 mph or 3.2 kph, taking up to two hours and 45 minutes to complete 10,000 steps.

·       Medium pace of 80-99 steps per minute, about 2.5 mph or 4 kph, completing 10,000 steps in just over two hours.

·       Brisk pace of 100-119 steps per minute, about 3 mph or 4.8 kph, walking 10,000 steps in less than one hour and 40 minutes.

·       Fast pace of 120+ steps per minute, about 3.5 mph or 5.6 kph, taking less than one hour and 23 minutes to complete 10,000 steps.

 

According to both the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic, physical activity per week, which is the equivalent of 30 minutes a day, or 75 minutes vigorous-intensity activity, or a combination of both, five days per week. 

 

These guidelines highlight the importance of raising your heart rate through movement, but do not prescribe any specific activities, instead encouraging people to move more and sit less.

 





And not all activities are created equally, some offer a better cardiovascular workout than others.  If you don’t have much time to devote to an exercise program, choose an activity with a higher steps per minute value and don’t forget the other things that you do during the day and add them up to get to your 10,000 step goal.

 



Take things slow and steady during month one.  Start your exercise program by walking at your current pace for 30 minutes five days a week.  Always take two days off each week, to let your body recover.  Plan one session of interval training each week, this is enough to maintain your current fitness level and is where beginners and newcomers should start.  And don’t forget stretches and weight training.  


A 16.9 oz, ½ liter, water bottle weighs just over one pound or ½ kilogram and can be carried in each hand to increase your strength and to afford good hydration.

 

In both months two and month three, increase your walking pace on the light days, over the month before.  In both months two and three, increase your interval training sessions to two times per week, to improve your physical fitness, and increase your intensity over the month before.  But remember, no back-to-back high intensity interval workouts, and always put a low intensity, steady state workout day in between interval workouts.  Keep up with your stretches and increase your weight training in both months, over the month before.  Increase the number of water bottles that you carry in your knapsack. 

 

·       Check with a doctor before starting any exercise program.

·       Wear proper footwear, comfortable shoes that offer good support are important to prevent injuries.

·       Warm up by stretching and starting with a few minutes of easy walking.  Finish your walk with a few easy minutes and some more stretches to cool down.

·       Vary your speed during your walk, this is called interval walking.  Three minutes of fast walking followed by three minutes of walking at a moderate pace, will build better fitness levels than walking at a steady pace over the same time.

·       Add some weight to your walk.  Start with a backpack carrying about 5% of your body weight, which for a 150 pound person would be about seven and half pounds (3.4 kgs), or about the same number of 16.9 oz (½ liter) water bottles.

·       Add stairs, hills or inclines to your workout.  Walking uphill and downhill engages different muscles in your legs compared to walking on flat terrain.  It also burns more calories and increases the intensity of your workout.

·       Gradually increase the intensity of your workout.  However, whenever you are increasing your walking speed, adding weight, or beginning hills do it gradually to allow your body to adapt.

·       Stay hydrated!  Carry water, particularly on long walks or during hot weather or wintry weather to avoid dehydration.

·       Listen to your body!  If something hurts or you experience pain and discomfort, stop, slow down or take a break.  If the pain continues speak to a doctor.

·       Try to get outside.  Being outside is good for the mind and body, but don’t forget that you can also workout inside during inclement weather on treadmills, stationary bicycles and walking tracks.

 

So, make Paleo Granddad proud and get out there and get Paleo fit!

 


 

For more information see the following:

·       U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

·       Getting Birchbark Fit: A Three Month Program

·       Getting into Wilderness Shape, a Three-Month Program ©

 

 

I hope that you enjoy learning from this resource!  To help me to continue to provide valuable free content, please consider showing your appreciation by leaving a donation HERE.  Thank you and Happy Trails!

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

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