Walkabout 2013 - Join the 28-day Quest for Good Health

This time last year, I was starting the Walkabout Quest for Good Health, a 28 day journey to jumpstart well-being through walking. Walkabout 2013 starts on Wednesday, April 3rd and I would encourage anyone who wants to improve their physical and mental condition to join in.

What exactly IS Walkabout? A Walkabout is an Australian journey for well-being, during which one seeks to clarify his/her life purpose. It is a time of reflection and to reconnect with family and community.  Our version of Walkabout is inspired by the Aussies and aims to improve physical and mental well-being, while creating healthy habits over the course of 28 days.

Are You Walking the Right Way? 

Tips from Dr. Andrew Weil

Walking is an ideal way to get daily exercise - it strengthens almost every major organ in the body, promotes optimal bone density, and boosts the immune system. But have you considered how to best put one foot in front of the other? Your walking habits can have an impact on how much benefit you get from each outing. 

Maximize the benefit from your daily walks:

• Walk with your head erect. Look ahead and train your sight 10 to 20 feet ahead of you. If you need to check the ground to avoid obstacles, lower your eyes, not your head, and try not to thrust your trunk forward or let your arms dangle listlessly at your sides
• Keep your back straight. Stretch your spine so your shoulders are level and square, and tuck your buttocks in
• Bend your arms. Flex your elbows at close to 90-degree angles and let your arms swing at waist level
• Take shorter, measured steps, with your feet striking the ground with the heel and pushing off with the toes. Too long a stride can throw you off balance

For more information, read the Healthy Footnotes blog and follow the #Walkabout2013 hashtag on your social media channels.

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that no compensation was provided and all opinions are, as usual, my own. I was a brand ambassador for last year's 28 Day #Walkabout campaign and have received products in the past.

Walkabout Wrap-up

April is almost over and that means Dr. Weil Integrative Footwear's Walkabout has come to an end. The weather here in Kansas has run the gamut over the past 28 days, from jaw-chatteringly chilly to 95º, with a tornado touching down in town and flooding rains tossed in to liven things up. Still, it's been nice to let the winter doldrums go and get moving again. Especially because it's miniskirt weather!

I'm sorry. You probably didn't need to see my weird dark sock and sneakers with ikat miniskirt look, did you? Especially with the charming mottled color that my ferocious spring break sunburn left me with. Oh, well, at least they're not glaringly white daikon legs anymore. My knees like to breathe free when it's warm out. An old friend of mine in Seattle told me that before he ever met me, his code name from seeing me out at shows was "short skirts." Yeah. I know.

The kids only have two weeks of school left (shocking!) so I know we'll be doing more walking as a family, which will be nice. I wish there were kid-sized versions of Dr. Weil Integrative Footwear, especially for Roo. I think more comfortable walking shoes would make her decidedly less sullen about having to go anywhere with us. One of the healthy changes I've made during the Walkabout is trying to be a better healthy lifestyle role model for her, so I've been working out regularly and the two of us are signing up for the Girls on the Run Mother's Day 5K. She seems psyched.

You know who else is psyched?

I probably ought to start thinking about getting some walking sandals soon. Let those toes wiggle free in the fresh air, along with my knobby knees.

I think my walkabout is just getting good. How about yours?

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that, as a brand ambassador, I received the complimentary sneakers mentioned above. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are, as usual, my own.

Rainy Day Fitness #Walkabout

Q: How do you keep active when the view from your front door looks like this?

A: Hit the gym.

We've had a lot of rain recently, the kind of torrential Kansas downpour that tries to make up for the year-round dryness. The parched soil can't soak up all the water quickly enough, which means we have a lot of flooding. Which means it's not a lot of fun to take walks, unless you're big into mud puddles.

So I've been taking my Rhythm Walkers to the gym. I had been wearing some lightweight running shoes to work out in, admittedly because they're neon pink and they make me laugh, but I thought the sturdiness of the walking shoes might help my form. I was right, they make a lot of difference with weight training, giving me a more solid footing and improving my posture. My knees feel less wobbly while doing squats, even. I don't think I would wear them to a cardio class but they're really great for step work, resistance training and, predictably, for the treadmill. 

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that, as a brand ambassador, I received the complimentary sneakers mentioned above. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are, as usual, my own.

#Walkabout Motivation: Zombies, Run!

It takes some prodding for me to get up and moving. I was never the little kid who jumped around and ran, so I know that incentivizing my fitness regimen is probably a good thing. I'd like to buy something pretty as a reward but that adds up too quickly and I'm in for the long haul with this new healthy lifestyle business. So, how can I liven up my workout? Music alone isn't going to cut it.

Ladies and gentleman, I introduce to you Zombies, Run! an app to get you running… away from the undead. It's a well-executed and immersive fitness role playing game and it's on half-price sale through Sunday April 8th for $3.99. A meager investment for your health and the fate of humanity, if you think about it.

As if that isn't enough, the geniuses (genii?) behind Zombies, Run! have just published a companion ebook, The Runner’s Guide, 75 pages of helpful hints and commentary that they are offering for FREE as a PDF and a multi-touch iBook. Find out more on the Zombies, Run! blog.

If running for my life doesn't work, I don't know what will, but just to be safe I also joined a gym today. Those zombies should be getting pretty nervous!

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that no compensation was provided and all opinions are, as usual, my own. I did write about this app because I believe it's a good way to stick to the fitness goals I have as a brand ambassador for the 28 Day #Walkabout campaign but I'm not entirely sure what Dr. Weil's stance on zombies is. I'll have to ask him about that sometime.

  

National Walking Day

Okay, I just found out that yesterday was National Walking Day. But since it was pouring down rain yesterday, I'm celebrating it today.

Here's a really good video with Dr. Andrew Weil, integrative health expert, and Dr. Philip Vasyli, podiatrist and founder of Orthaheel, explaining the ease and importance of establishing an everyday walking habit with shoes that support the proper natural alignment of your feet.



I'm a terrible shoe whore, I must admit, but the importance of good walking shoes is not lost on me. I especially love the revelation that the big toe needs to flex while you walk. Epiphany! It makes so much sense that many of the aches and pains we've become accustomed to dealing with can be easily traced back to squishing our feet into constrictive shoes that don't allow us to bounce back from the pavement. Heck, the pavement itself is part of the problem. 
It's not like I'll be giving up platform shoes anytime soon but having comfortable and supportive shoes like the Weil Integrative Rhythm Walkers I'm currently wearing for the Walkabout is a huge shift towards my well being. My feet tend to pronate (I'm using the lingo!) inward as I walk but these shoes actually make me stand straighter and take a stronger, more definitive stride. Which, ostensibly, will make me want to walk longer and further. Not a bad thing, in my book.

On an entirely shallow note, I also think they're kind of cute. Apparently you can have orthotics and not look like an old biddy. Who knew?!
In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that, as a brand ambassador, I received the complimentary sneakers mentioned above. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are, as usual, my own.

Walkabout: A 28 Day Quest for Good Health

I'm thrilled to announce I've been selected as a brand ambassador for Dr. Weil Integrative Footwear's Walkabout: A 28-day Quest for Good Health. The Walkabout is a call to action, meant to get people to walk their way to optimum health. Walking is something everyone can do, at any age or fitness level. The "Good Health" goal of the campaign is not just about fitness or weight loss, but about getting bodies energized and moving to improve physical AND mental efficiency and well-being. 

I wasn't able to attend the Walkabout kick-off virtual tea event in New York last week but I did receive a starter kit including a snazzy pair of Dr. Weil Integrative Footwear Rhythm Lace-up Walkers (available exclusively via QVC and FootSmart), Walkabout logo tee, boomerang, bag and cap, and a copy of Dr. Weil's book Spontaneous Happiness. 

I have very high arches and, apparently, a peculiar gait, so I was curious about the fit. The Rhythm Walkers are very, very comfortable. Especially in the ball of the foot, where I often experience pain. Bob was eyeing them, too, since he prefers shoes with a less-constrictive toebox and a sturdy tread. I might have to get him a pair to be my Walkabout buddy!

Clearing my mind and getting more physical activity are both challenges I am ready to undertake. I'm excited to join this movement and to see how I've changed, physically and spiritually, in the next few weeks. I'm hoping that I will learn new things about myself and my capabilities.

Carol from NYCityMama and Dr. Weil at the Walkabout Virtual Tea

For more information, read the Healthy Footnotes blog and follow the #Walkabout hashtag.

How do you keep yourself motivated to keep moving?

In accordance to the FTC Guidelines and the WOMMA Code of Ethics, I am disclosing that, as a brand ambassador, I received the complimentary products mentioned above. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are, as usual, my own.