Everyone knows that when you work out your muscles, those muscles get stronger. But did you realize that certain exercises can actually help your bones get stronger as well? It’s true, and by incorporating some of these bone-strengthening exercises into your regular workout regimen, you can improve the health of your bones, and head off some potential health issues later in life.

First things first: Before you start any physical fitness activities for the first time, you really should speak to a physician and get a check up. The doctor can tell you what exercises your body can handle and, more importantly, which ones you should avoid. Many exercises are high impact, meaning they apply the most torque and strain to your joints. Low-impact exercises, like exercises done in the water, tend to be easier on the joints, as the water will help buoy some of your body weight, putting less pressure on those joints and bones.

A few good exercises you can use to help build your bone strength are:

Yoga: Many women with joint disorders like arthritis enjoy yoga, as it removes tightness in the joints and helps you mentally relax. Many of the postures involved with yoga can have a very beneficial effect on your bone strength though. Medical research projects have shown that women over the age of 50 who regularly practiced yoga multiple times each week experienced less bone loss as they aged.

Walking: Pretty basic stuff here, but many people don’t realize that weight-beqaring exercises like walking and running can help strengthen the bones in your legs and hips quite a bit. Be sure to wear a pair of comfortable walking shoes and clothing that doesn’t bind or restrict your movement.

Strength Training: Resistance training works as well, and can be a better option for those people who suffer from joint disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. By doing some very basic strength training exercises on a regular basis, women can prevent or slow osteoporosis from taking hold. Try joining a gym to get started, but if one isn’t convenient for you, simply purchase some small dumbbells and hand weights from your local sporting goods store and get your workout in while in the comfort of your own home.

In short, remember your muscles, but don’t forget your bones. Without strong bones, you are far more likely to suffer a serious injury, and in many cases, experience a lesser quality of life.

Flexibility is an often-overlooked aspect of overall fitness. We remember to work on our cardiovascular fitness, and we remember to work on our strength training…but flexibility training? Most people stop at “a light stretch before the workout” and never give it another thought. A little bit of forethought, however, will point to flexibility being as important as either of the other areas of fitness. When you improve your flexibility, you benefit in a number of ways. You improve your range of motion in your joints, which allows you to do more of whatever it is you do, from working out to shopping, without tiring as easily. It has also been proven that increased flexibility is an excellent way to avoid injury as your body ages.

Below are just a few ways you can incorporate a little flexibility training into your regular workout routine…

Stretch with a purpose: Also known as functional flexibility, what this means is that you focus on improving your flexibility in areas where you actually need it. If you like to play golf, then improving your core muscle flexibility (stomach, back, chest, shoulders) will help you hit the ball harder and with more accuracy, plus keep the post-golf soreness to a minimum.

Get Warm before you fire up the stretching: If you are working on your flexibility by yourself, rather than in a class environment, take some time to warm up before you start stretching. A short 10-15 minute walk is a good way to warm up the body and get it ready for the serious stretching.

Keep at it!: Consistency is the key to any workout regimen, and that goes doubly so for flexibility. Make flexibility training a regular part of your workout routine, and maintain the discipline to work on that flexibility every time you work out.

Commit to the Flex: In other words, take your stretching seriously. Too many people think that a casual stretch for 5 minutes or so is all they really need to improve their flexibility. Wrong answer, folks… Commit to an extended stretching routine, and speak with a personal trainer or physician to help you establish a thorough program that will maximize your results.

Strength in Numbers: Most gyms and workout centers offer classes in flexibility training. By finding one of those nearby, you will be able to get in some serious stretching, with friends (or soon-to-be new friends) and a professional teacher to guide you through the process.

In closing, always remember to stretch it out good, and keep stretching. If you want to get the most out of this world, you really need to be limber enough to reach out and grab it! Never forget that you need to wear comfortable clothing that allows you to stretch without binding, and remember to wear your most comfortable walking shoes or workout shoes, depending on your specific needs.

(If you missed part 1, you can click here to start reading at the beginning.)

Walking is a great way to maintain your cardiovascular health, keep your legs, hips and buttocks toned and improve your respiratory conditioning. In part 1, we discussed some of the excuses that people make to get out of walking, as well as a few key areas to consider to help your motivation survive and prosper, as your feet carry you down the road to good health.

Motivation is good…rewarding yourself is better.
By creating a situation where you reward yourself for walking, you will become more likely to get up, put those walking shoes on, and get out there every night (or every other night, depending on how you’ve arranged your workouts). A good way to establish the “reward profram” is, for every milestone you reach in your walking regimen, you get to buy yourself a walking-related present. Maybe it’s a pedometer or other walking tech toy. Maybe its some new walking gear. Maybe it’s new clothes that help you show off that new leaner and more toned body.

Track your Progress
One of the main reasons why women stop walking is that they are unsure whether they are making any progress toward the goals they established for that walking program. Some women want to lose a certain amount of weight, some want to just feel healthier and have more energy to do all the other fun things in their life. Whichever camp you’re camped out in, keeping track of your walking progress can help you meet those goals, and help keep you motivated until you reach those goals. A journal is a great way to track things. When you come back in from your walk, note how far you walked, where you walked, as well as any personal notes that can help you keep a grip on all of the details. If you went for an evening walk by the ocean, and you love the way the ocean breeze smells at night, put it in your journal. If you are walking in the city and pass by a restaurant or shop that you want to visit in the future…note it in the journal.

Picture your progress, and it shall be yours!
From a personal perspective, this is a tool that really helped me keep my motivation level high. If you walk three times a week, take a weekly photo of yourself. Keep all your weekly pictures together, and when you feel your motivation flagging, you take out the pictures and look at them in chronological order. You’d be amazed how well this works to show you your progress and let you know that all the hard work is really paying dividends. Once you see how good you’re looking, then you can go back to the whole “reward” thing again and go treat yourself to something special. After all, you deserve it for being such a self-motivated walking machine!

(In this two part article, we’ll take a look at the reasons why many people start walking programs, only to lose motivation and not maintain the workouts for the long-term.)

So, you’ve decided (again) to start a walking regimen, either to try shaking some of those excess pounds or for general fitness purposes. You’ve been at this point before though, and weren’t able to keep yourself motivated in order to extend those good intentions more than a week or two before giving up on it.

“It’s too hard”

“I couldn’t find the time…”

These are the most common reasons that people who have started a walking regimen note as being the reasons they weren’t able to maintain the activity levels. One of those lines probably passed through your head before giving up on walking activities in the past. You swear that this time will be different… You go out and spend good money on a high quality pair of comfortable walking shoes and some new sweatpants or walking shorts and get ready to try it again.

But how do you make “this time” more lasting…and effective than the times before?

Self-motivation is a tricky business, because all of the conflicts involved are internal, and it’s you battling yourself. Winner-take-all, with the loser probably ending up sitting on the couch with a bowl of Ben and Jerry’s. You can avoid this fate though, if you just take some steps (all puns intended) to ensure that your walks are more interesting, more enjoyable…more appealing.

Here are a few areas to consider before getting started:

Where are you walking?
Cue the “I got bored” excuse… Now stuff that back in your subconscious pocket, because there’s an easy way to get past the boredom aspect. The answer is simply to stop walking in familiar places. You know your neighborhood well enough at this point, so why would you want to spend a half hour or an hour walking around your familiar stomping grounds, looking at all the same old houses and scenery that you see every day already? I know, I know…it’s convenient to just walk out your front door, walk for a bit, and end up back home again. Sure, convenience is good, but it’s three strides past boring. Instead of the same old neighborhood walk, go find a different route! ind a nearby lake and walk around that. Golf courses and nature trails abound in most parts of the country, so you know that you could find a place to walk that you find interesting. Who cares if you have to drive 5-10 minutes to find it? If it keeps you from yawning over the tedium, it’s worth the effort.

Who are you walking with?
Too many times, people start a walking regimen by themselves, walk by themselves, and wonder why they got bored and quit after a few weeks. It probably had something to do with those folks getting bored with their own company. By getting other people involved, whether it is friends or coworkers, you suddenly turn that lonely walk into a social activity. If you are doing longer walks with one or more friends, you can even arrange it so that you have a “halfway point” break at a juice bar, or some other healthy establishment. This will break up the walk into two smaller, less intensive walks, and gives you another “fun thing” to incorporate into your workout.

In part two, we’ll discuss personal rewards and even more motivational tools to help you sustain your walking workouts!

Considering the fact that walking is such a prominent part of everyday life, it seems odd that finding a good walking shoe is so difficult. At times, it can be difficult to find shoes that provide foot stability and arch support without having to compromise long-term ankle and knee comfort. If that plight sounds familiar, we can tell you two things – you’ve probably tried on far too many crosstrainers, and you’d be an excellent candidate for the ASICS Gel-Pace Walker. Unlike shoes that try to address a variety of goals only to miss the mark, the Pace Walker focuses on foot stability and comfort for walking, rather than trying to tailor itself to every activity.

Sure, the design may make the Pace Walker a less versatile model than others. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You’ll surely benefit from the specificity, as the shape, cushioning and lining are designed to provide optimal ankle and arch support throughout a walking stride. Because walking and running are such different motions, shoes that try to tailor to both activities often perform poorly for both. By contrast, the Pace Walker’s gel cushioning, structural design and dual-density midsole help reduce knee impact, allow you to take advantage of your natural momentum and keep you comfortable even on long walks.

The New Balance 1870 Rock and Tone Walker is the perfect show for women who need more arch support, more comfort, and better foot stability. Shoes of this kind can help to tone the body, but they can also offer excellent support for the ankle and knee that other shoes cannot provide.

Male or female, young or old…if you work in the nursing profession, then the chances are good that you spend a lot of time on your feet. Wearing comfortable nursing shoes is an important step toward your being able to do your job, especially when you get into those brutally tough 12 hour nursing shifts.

But how do you determine which nursing shoes are best for you?

First, you need to know what your employer requires of you. Does the hospital or doctor’s office where you work require white nursing shoes? Open or closed back styles? From an aesthetics standpoint, you want to wear shoes that look good, but in the long run, looks are nowhere near as important as comfort.

For male nurses, there are a large number of acceptable brands, like Birkenstock, Nurse Mates and more. They come in a wide range of different styles, with a traditional white color being available in virtually every brand. If you’re allowed to wear clogs, you can check out the line of male clogs by Dansko to find a happy medium between style and comfort.

For female nurses, the variety is even deeper, and style itself is more of an issue. Does your employer allow you to wear clogs? Or is a closed-back style required due to insurance considerations? Cherokee and Dansko make well-reviewed women’s nursing shoes. The key is to find a style that is acceptable to your employer, comfortable to your feet and stylish to your sense of looking good on your feet.

Many nurses are required to wear anti-static nursing shoes, due to their use of certain medical equipment that is sensitive to static discharge. While there aren’t nearly as many brands to choose from among this style of nursing shoes, you can still find quite a few manufacturers who design quality nursing shoes with an anti-static sole.

Where can you find the best nursing shoes?

No matter what type of nursing shoe you are after, the color, style or size, the best place to find them is on the internet. With virtually every shoe retailer having a commercial website these days, it simply take a few minutes in a Google search to find exactly what you’re looking for. Be careful not to simply buy the first pair that comes along though. Take your time, search around, and you’ll end up with the right pair of nurse shoes to fit your needs, your tastes and your budget.

If you are just getting started on a walking regimen, there is one thing you definitely need to keep in mind, a bit of wisdom from the millions of walkers who have come before… “Take care of your feet and your feet will take care of you.”

A walker’s feet can take quite a pounding. Depending on the length of your legs and your walking stride, your feet will hit the ground over 1,400 times, and when they hit the ground, they hit it hard…each step translates to a force of 3-4 times your body weight. With all that pounding, you can expect to walk (all puns intended) into some feet problems at one time or another. You’ll get blisters, stone bruises and more. With all the punishment you dish out to your feet, it just makes sense to take certain precautionary steps to help minimize the potential for injuries or foot pain. By following the steps below, a walker can give themselves a head start in the race to keep their feet healthy.

1) Don’t skimp on the shoes! Make sure you get a high quality comfortable pair of walking shoes. They should fit well, with room to wiggle the toes a bit, but not so loose that you can feel the whole shoe move with each step. Replace them after about 400-500 miles, as shoes will lose their ability to absorb the shock after a while, which means that all that pounding goes directly to your feet.

2) Get several pairs of quality walking socks. Sporting goods stores or walking-specific retail outlets carry non-cotton socks that transfer moisture better than their cotton cousins. Moisture causes blisters, so make good socks a priority purchase.

3) Don’t pick at the blisters! If you use a good pair of well-fitting shoes and proper non-cotton socks and you still get blisters, don’t worry about it. Just cover the blister with a small bandage. If the blister does open up, wash it thoroughly with an antiseptic and re-cover that area with a bandage. This will help prevent any infections from popping up.

4) Keep your toenails trimmed. When you let your toenails grow out, you increase the chances of getting a blood blister to form underneath the nail. If you get a blood blister or other dark discoloration under the nail, visit your doctor to ensure that it isn’t something more serious than just a blister.

5) Properly warm up BEFORE stretching! Too many people stretch first, but stretching muscles that aren’t warmed up already can lead to muscle pulls and other injuries. Take 5 minutes to walk before you stretch out, and you’ll find that your muscles will respond better to it.

6) If you have a hard time finding comfortable shoes that fit, consider looking at shoe modifications or orthotics that fit inside the shoe. Not all feet have the same shape, so if you constantly have difficulty in getting shoes to fit right, talk to your podiatrist about whether a small orthotic insert will help.

Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? By heeding those 6 simple steps, you can rest assured that you’ll be able to enjoy your walk every time you head out the door. Just remember to never take your feet for granted, and your feet will be able to take you anywhere you want to go.

Running and walking are great exercises for the average woman looking to improve her health and general fitness. In fact, statistics prove that there are significant health benefits that should last a life time related to this practice. Before starting a walking or running program it is important to wear the proper foot gear. The best running or walking shoe should provide foot stability, arch support, and comfort. The shoe should also provide good support to the ankle and knee area. Make sure to purchase the proper shoe. Never wear a cross trainer or tennis shoe to run or walk. Those types of shoes do not provide the proper support or fit.

The market is flooded with a variety of running and walking shoes which makes shoe selection very difficult. One shoe gaining a tremendous amount of positive press and attention is the Women’s Reebok RealFlex Run – Suede Shoe. These new and innovative shoes are specifically designed for the woman who likes to run and looks for a high quality running shoes that provide great comfort, arch support, foot stability along with ankle and knee support. The low to the ground shoe provides excellent flexibility along with mobility. The 3D Ultralite outsole provides just the right amount of support to protect the foot and encourage a natural run. The Women’s Reebok RealFlex Run – Suede shoe is the perfect solution for the woman on the go.