Walking for Wellness and Weight Loss with Michele Stanten and Gennev

https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/ha6i35/Michele_Stanten1_-_10_17_21_506_PMbijbc.mp3

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Michele Stanten, an author and ACE-certified fitness instructor, uses her expertise to encourage individuals to partake in one of the easiest and most accessible forms of exercise: walking. In today’s episode, we sat down with Michele to discuss walking in midlife, the ramifications of sitting for too long, her partnership with Gennev, and the logistics of walking 10,000 steps a stay.

First, we asked Michele why walking is such an important activity, especially for women in midlife. She told us that although many don’t consider walking to be genuine exercise, it has many physical and mental health benefits. Research shows that walking for twenty minutes five days a week can boost our immune systems. Walking is also a low impact exercise, so it is easier on our joints. Walking for fifteen minutes can also help curb sugar cravings. When asked about the issue of sitting too much, Michele explained that recently, people are becoming more and more sedentary. Even working out and then sitting down for the rest of the day can have some negative effects. Inactivity can contribute to a myriad of issues, including heart disease, diabetes, and even some forms of cancer. We feel our best when we’re moving, so it is important to incorporate more movement into our day. This can be done through small changes to our routine. For example, going into restaurants instead of using the drive through and purposefully parking further away from a store can increase the amount of steps we take.

We also talked to Michele about moderate intensity exercise. She told us that the purpose of moderate intensity exercise is to get our heart rate up without overexerting ourselves. Walking is a great way to increase our heart rate while still being able to talk and not becoming too exhausted. The levels of moderate intensity exercise depend on individual fitness levels, so it’s important to pay attention to your body when working out. Another great form of exercise is interval training. For walking, this can be done by increasing your speed for 30-60 seconds, slowing down again to rest, and then speeding back up in small increments. When asked about the benefits of walking on hills versus flat surfaces, Michele said that you can still obtain a good workout from walking on flat terrain. Hills add intensity, so you can implement hills into interval training. Since walking is a weight-bearing form of exercise, it helps maintain bones strength. Hiking is also a good workout, and hiking on uneven terrain helps our balance. For walking in tough weather, Michele emphasized that as long as it is safe, she encourages people to walk in the rain. There are waterproof jackets and brimmed hats that are great for keeping you dry.

Michele recently started a walking program with Gennev called Get Moving, and when asked what inspired her, she said it had to do with exercise during menopause. She realized for many midlife women, symptoms made continuing or starting exercise programs difficult. Since walking is one of the most accessible forms of working out, midlife women can sneak in times to walk during the day rather than having to stress about a difficult routine. There are two levels to the program: gentle walking and fitness walking. Participants can choose whichever program suits their lifestyle better and can even alternate between the two programs. Get Moving is free and can be found on walking.gennev.com. When members sign up, they will also be able to access articles, including one about 50 benefits of walking in midlife.

When asked about people who do not live in neighbors that are accessible for walking, Michele suggested finding buildings or outdoor shopping malls to walk through as alternatives. Finally, we brought up the concept that a person needs to take at least 10,000 steps every day. Michele explained that while 10,000 steps is a general guideline, it will differ with every person. She suggested using an app to count how many steps you take on a normal day and then slowly try to increase the number over time.

Michele Stanten

Michele Stanten, a walking coach and ACE-certified fitness instructor, is co-author of The Walking Solution and author of Walk Off Weight, Walk Your Way to Better Health, and Firm Up in 3 Weeks. She’s the creator of mywalkingcoach.com, and she’s designed walking and fitness programs for leading brands including Harvard Health Publishing, SilverSneakers, Weight Watchers, and Dr. Oz. Michele is a member of Verywell Fit’s Wellness Board, and she has presented walking workshops at the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Summit, American Council on Exercise Symposium, and the National Walking Summit.