Another non-running cardio workout

Hi and Happy Valentine's Day!  Valentine's Day always brings images of hearts to mind.  And one part of our body that needs some TLC is our heart (as well as our lungs and the other parts).  How we give our heart some TLC is to get plenty of heart-pumping exercises in per week. 

Now I am not too concerned about how many minutes you do.  I just want you to start small and get in the habit first, then you can add more time.  Remember what I've said in the past, you don't have to do a full 20 or 30 minutes.  You can break it up into segments, like 5 minutes in the morning and 15 in the afternoon.  Or 10 in the afternoon and 20 in the evening.  You get the point, right?

I am assuming that most of you are still just starting out or maybe you haven't started at all.  And even if you are used to exercising regularly, you can still use some of these tips.

This workout is inspired by an article I read regarding Nordic Fitness Poles.  These are kinda crazy looking, almost like cross country ski poles.  They can be quite costly though and I am all about saving money.  But the article mentioned that if you walk at 4.0 mph with these poles, you can burn the same amount of calories as if you were running at 7.0 mph.  That got my attention since I am not the strongest runner.  I like running, but not for long periods of time. 

Now I didn't want to buy these Nordic Fitness Poles for two reasons; 1) cost - they were quite expensive and 2) I think I'd feel weird walking around the neighborhood with these things.  Now these poles vary in weight and you can get them to suit your fitness levels.  So I decided to add hand weights to my walking routine.  Most people have some laying around, if not you can use water bottles (as long as they are the same weight).

1) If you are just beginning, start out with 1 lb hand weights.  If you are really physically fit, you may want to go all the way up to 5 lbs in each hand.  The choice is yours, but just be warned that after some time they will feel heavy.

2) When walking keep your shoulders down, chest lifted, chin parallel to the floor and of course your belly button pulled in towards your spine.  Also remember to breathe!  You'd be surprised how many people hold their breath while working out.

3) Keep your arms by your side with elbows bent and move your arms as you walk at a good pace.  Don't worry, you won't look weird. People will see the weights and know that you are not crazy, just working out.

4) This workout can be done on a treadmill.  Just be careful as you move your arms that you don't hit the controls with the weights.

5) As you get better, increase your time and/or your weights.

Have fun and let me know how you make out with this:)