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SCOTM! Walk Member Handbook

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SCOTM! Walk Member Handbook SCOTM! Walk Member Handbook i Sumter County on The Move! Member Handbook This handbook was developed by the University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center (USC PRC) and Sumter County Active Lifestyles (SCAL). This handbook is not copyrighted and may be reproduced in part or in whole for educational purposes only. The USC PRC and SCAL must be acknowledged as the handbook’s author on all reproductions of the handbook. No part of this handbook may be sold. Please contact Melinda Forthofer, PhD for questions about replication or the handbook’s contents. SCOTM! Faculty and Staff Contact Information Melinda Forthofer, PhD Principal Investigator Sara Wilcox, PhD Co-Investigator & Director of the USC PRC Patricia A. Sharpe, PhD, MPH Co-Investigator Lili Stoisor-Olsson, MPH, MSW Project Coordinator Ericka Burroughs, MA, MPH Project Manager Linda Pekuri MPH, RD, LD Executive Director, SCAL SCOTM! Website: http://www.sumtercountymoves.org/ Funding for this handbook was made possible by Cooperative Agreement Number U48/DP001936 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the USC PRC. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the CDC, USC PRC, or SCAL. ii Table of Contents Introduction 2 Connecting with your SCOTM! Member Network 4 Walking 5 Health and Safety 7 Walking in Different Seasons 11 Measuring Walking Intensity 13 Sticking with Your Walking Program 14 Remember These Tips… 17 What to Expect from Your Walking Group and Leader 18 SCOTM! Member Resources 19 References 28 Credits and Acknowledgments 28 Notes 29 SCOTM! Member Forms 30 iii SUMTER COUNTY ON THE MOVE! MEMBER HANDBOO K Introduction hy walk? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that over half of the adults in the United States are not getting enough exercise to W benefit their health. According to the Task Force on Community Preventive Services (2002), physical inactivity is the second leading actual cause of death in the United States. That is why physical inactivity has been called the ‘silent killer’ of our time. Walking is a good way to get people who are inactive to exercise. It is a natural activity that Did you know walking… costs little and is easier to start and continue than other activities. Walking requires no Reduces the risk of dying from heart disease and of developing special equipment, is available to most people, high blood pressure, colon cancer, and has a low risk of injury. and diabetes. Health benefits of walking at a brisk pace can Helps maintain healthy bones, be seen with as little as 150 minutes per week. muscles, and joints. The walking does not have to be done all at Helps control weight, build lean once. Ten minutes of brisk walking at different muscle, and reduce body fat. times throughout the week can provide health Reduces anxiety and depression benefits. while increasing feelings of well- being. Benefits of walking groups Can help reduce blood pressure. Social support is an important part of meeting Is safer than any other form of exercise goals. Walking groups provide social exercise. support. Researcher Mary Nies (Nies & Motka, 2006) found in one of her studies that 80% of those who met their walking goals had social support. Having people around who enjoy walking can be motivating and provide accountability so that everyone in the group can meet their walking goals. Walking groups give the health benefits of physical activity with the added bonus of being part of a group. If you enjoy walking in a group, SCOTM! provides that option for you. 4 SUMTER COUNTY ON THE MOVE! MEMBER HANDBOO K However, it is not necessary to walk with your group all of the time. This is why the SCOTM! program can work for everyone. As a member of SCOTM!, you can walk with your group, with others, or alone. Whatever your preference, SCOTM! provides you with tools for mobilizing social support, overcoming barriers to walking, and staying motivated to reach your walking goals. Connecting with Your SCOTM! Member Network Staying connected with the SCOTM! member network provides the best opportunity for you to receive support and resources to meet your walking goals. Communication options Email SCOTM! staff will email you information periodically. Be sure to update your email address with a staff member if needed. You can also email us if needed. Email addresses are located on the title page of this handbook. Facebook Are you a member of Facebook? If so, become a Facebook friend of ours at “Sumter County On The Move” to receive motivating tips and testimonies from others in the SCOTM! network on a regular basis. Not a member of Facebook? No problem. It is not necessary for participation in SCOTM! If you would like to join Facebook, see page 22 for more information. Twitter Twitter will be another way that you can stay connected to SCOTM! Follow us on “Twitter @SumterCoMoves” to receive motivating tweets and other information regularly. Do not have a Twitter account? No problem. It is not necessary for participation in SCOTM! If you would like a Twitter account, see page 22 for more information. 5 SUMTER COUNTY ON THE MOVE! MEMBER HANDBOO K Walking Walking is something most people do on a daily basis. It is a natural activity that most people can perform with confidence. There are a few things to keep in mind when walking for fitness that will make the experience more enjoyable and reduce your risk of injury. This section gives tips for walking and ideas to keep you motivated while on the walk. Good walking posture and movement A good walking posture will help walkers reduce their chance of injury, breathe better while walking, and enable them to move at a better pace. The movement of our limbs has a large impact on our walking pace. First, we will look at different parts of the body and how they are positioned while walking. Next, we will look at the movement of our limbs. Finally, we will put all of them together to achieve good walking posture and movement. Posture Head The head should be centered with the ears directly over the shoulders. The chin should be parallel with the ground and the eyes looking ahead about 6 to 8 feet. Shoulders The shoulders should be relaxed, down and back. This creates some space between the ears and the shoulders. (You can feel the correct shoulder Many of us don’t think about posture by rolling your shoulders up to your ears our posture while walking. These tips can help improve and then sliding your shoulder blades down the our walking posture and our spine.) posture overall. Chest The chest should be lifted and open. 6 SUMTER COUNTY ON THE MOVE! MEMBER HANDBOO K Movement Arms The arm swing should be natural and comfortable. The forward swing should be relaxed and close to the center of the body. Legs The length of each stride should be comfortable for you. Stride length will vary between individuals. The length of the leg, hamstring tightness, and rotation of the hips all factor into the length of a person’s stride. Foot placement With each step, the heel should touch the ground first. The weight then rolls forward to the ball of the foot, lifting the heel off the ground. The middle toes should be in line with the shin bone to ensure proper forward motion. Putting it all together Walking is a natural activity. Reminding yourself of the proper walking form when you begin to tire will help you maximize your benefits from walking. While it is true that those with longer legs cover more ground with each stride, it is not necessary to increase the length of the stride to walk faster. The faster the rear leg is brought forward, the faster the rate of walking will be. 7 SUMTER COUNTY ON THE MOVE! MEMBER HANDBOO K Health and Safety Walking is very safe for most people. It is a low-risk activity, but being aware of health and safety concerns will help you to minimize the chance of injury. It is a good idea for all walkers to know what to do in case something happens and things to watch for to keep the walk as safe and enjoyable as possible. Health screening Physical activity is safe for most people, and walking is a low-risk activity. It reduces health problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle and has many benefits. Still, there are some people who should check with their doctor before changing their amount of physical activity. If you have or develop any of the following health conditions, talk with your doctor before starting or continuing a walking program: . heart trouble . chest pain when doing physical activity . episodes of chest pain during the last month when not doing physical activity . dizziness that causes you to lose your balance or consciousness . joint or bone problems worsened by physical activity . uncontrolled high blood pressure . other health problems that might keep you Walking is a low-risk from starting a walking program activity, but there are some people who should check with their doctor before starting a walking program. 8 SUMTER COUNTY ON THE MOVE! MEMBER HANDBOO K Sun protection According to the CDC, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Exposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays appears to be the most important environmental factor involved with developing skin cancer. During the summer months, UV radiation tends to be greater. While walking, regular use of the following will help prevent skin cancer: a shady walking route, especially if you’re walking during midday hours (10:00 a.m.
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