Hello All,

One of the most challenging obstacles you will face in this road to get in shape, is losing fat and get stronger. Getting stronger is a topic for another day, while losing fat is surely at the top of your mind.

Walking is one of the most basic ways to keep healthy.But not all walks are created equal.

*increase the speed of your walk to help keep weight at a reasonable level.
*walk uphill
*walk backwards(safety is key:make sure you know where your walking)
*extend the distance of your walk
*extend the time you spend walking

All of these tweaks are effective at helping you burn more while exercising, one is more effective........can you guess??

Speed Kills!!

Increasing the speed of your walk is the best way to increase intensity.

What now?
If you walk 120 steps in a minute it roughly equates to 3mph.

If you walk 135 steps in a minute you are moving roughly 4mph.

Why should you care??
Havard School of Public Health research fellow Anne Lusk determined that of 18000 premenopausal women those who walked at a brisk pace 3mph or higher gained less weight than those who walked in a leisurely fashion.

Pretty amazing how keeping your intensity high can help your scale reading low.

Exercise This: Cop shows can save your neck (and back and shoulders)

I have many clients whose professional life dominates their time and energy. They often work 60 hours a week and hope to fit exercise in wherever they can. Sound familiar?? Though I cannot convince them to scale back work hours (not for lack of desire) I often suggest this simple exercise to counteract the negative effects of a desk job.

Have you ever watched cop shows like my favorite, T.J. Hooker? (It's an oldie but goodie!) Well, the perpetrator is always commanded to do three things:

1. FREEZE!
2. PUT YOUR HANDS UP!
3. HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!

Now, I know this seems silly, but stay with me.

First, you know your day will be a long one, so every 45 minutes or so you should stop and break from what you are doing...FREEZE!

Second, you probably have been hunched over a desk of papers or in front of some sort of computer. A shoulders-forward position prevents the postural muscles of your upper back from doing their job effectively, so...PUT YOUR HANDS UP! (This second step is even more effective if you stand while you do it.)

Third, in order to truly get the postural muscles activated, HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD! Clasp your fingers behind your head and squeeze your shoulder blades together, and then relax and allow your arms to return to your sides. Repeat the steps as many times as needed. It may shock you to learn how tight your shoulders and neck really are.

Remember: Reduce tension to increase production.

Exercise This: Do you feel your knees when you squat?

Do you feel your knees when you do squats?

You shouldn’t. You should feel the muscles—upper and lower leg—working. If you do feel your knees, you likely have one of the following problems:

• poor arthrokinematics (joint movement)
• muscular imbalance, or
• poor exercise form

Fortunately, the problem is most often ineffective exercise form.

Talking with your health care provider and a certified fitness professional can help with all three issues, but improving your squat exercise form is something you can do at home. Try this technique for eliminating “talking” knees during a squat.

1. Find a sturdy chair and have a seat.
2. Then, stand up.
3. Repeat 1 and 2.

Here’s where good form comes in: The key issue is not to fall down into the seat, but rather to touch your bottom to the seat, keeping the muscles of the glutes and the abs activated. When we’re working out, you’ll hear me say, ‘Tighten your abs and don’t let the glutes relax as you sit down into the chair’. It’ll take some practice, learning a new balance and learning how to control your descent into the chair, but the reduced pressure on the knees will make it well worth the time. —Art

Write about your workout challenges in the comment section, or write Ask Art.