Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 August 2002 — Page 34

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 9,2002 ■ PAGE D8

TO Y01 HEALTH

Walk this way —for fun and health

Submitted by the Health Education, Promotion and Training Department of the Marion County Health Department First, the not-so-good news: Even with all of the recent media attention, medical advice from doctors, and public health information available regarding the importance of maintaining a consistent fitness regimen, Americans are still not getting enough exercise. Now, the good news: Fitness walking is easy, safe, and inexpensive. It’s aerobic, it burns calories, and it’s an ideal fat-burning activity. It conditions the heart, relieves stress, improves muscle tone, and can even help with back pain, osteoporosis, respiratory problems, diabetes, arthritis and variety of other health problems. Walking is an injury-free way for seniors to keep fit, and help children discover the benefits of regular physical activity. The following information is to help you discover all the benefits to fitness walking and some basic tips to get you started. First of all, it's important to make sure fitness walking is for you. The Marion County Health Department suggests you contact your medical provider for a check-up or consultation before you begin your walking program if any of these apply: • You havo boon sadantary (Inactlva) for a yaar or mora. • You don’t currantly axarciaa and ara ovar aga 65. • You hava baan diagnosed with heart trouble.

• You ara pregnant. • You hava baan diagnosed with high blood pressure. • You hava diabetes. • You hava chest pain, especially whan exerting yourself. • You often feel faint or hava severe dizzy spalls. • You hava other medical conditions that hava previously prevented you from other forms of physical exercise. Choosing the right equipment Most experts suggest wearing proper footwear and clothing. Your walking clothing should be comfortable and loose fitting to allow you to move. Shoes must fit well, but leave enough room so your feet can expand while walking. Also, good walking shoes are flexible, as your foot rolls with each step. A well-fit pair of running shoes is the best answer for most walkers. Where to walk Besides your own neighborhood, Indianapolis has some wonderful areas to engage in fitness walking. Most of the parks in Marion County have designated walking trails. You can check with Indy Parks for a list of these trails. Other suggestions include: The Canal downtown, the Monon Trail, area shopping malls, or a school track. Warm up and stretching It is important to engage in a simple warm-up before you begin your stretches. Warmup ideas include a few minutes of jumping rope or jumping jacks. It is desirable to stretch both before and after you go on your walk. When stretching, it is important to:

• Ease Into, hold and ease out of each stretch. • Hold each stretch for a minimum of 20 seconds. • Stretching should never be psinful, although you might feel a mild discomfort. • Never bounce while stretching. • Perform stretches on both legs equally.

Fitness walking tips You’ll want to walk with good posture, using arm and foot motion that will propel you forward with good power and no wasted effort. How you hold your body is very important to walking comfortably and easily. Other suggestions include: • Stand up straight. • Do not lean forward or lean back. Leaning puts strain on the muscles of the back. • Eyes forward, not looking down but rather 20 feet ahead. • Shrug once and let your shoulders fall and relax.

Arm motion can lend power to your walking, burning 5-10 percent more calories and acting as a balance to your leg motion. For maximum benefits, work up to a brisk walking speed. Keep in mind that during your fitness walk you should be able to carry on a conversation and should not be out of breath. How far and how often to walk Walking 3 hours per week is associated with a decreased risk of heart disease. Walking for just a half-hour each day is associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer and Type II diabetes. Try to walk every day if possible.

TIPS ON CLEARING THE EXERCISE HURDLE

The American Heart Association offers these creative strategies to help Americans clear the exercise hurdles and get moving. Monitor your immobility. Record the amount of time you spent sitting in one day Once you reafee how much time you spend on your seat, you might feel a sudden need to get on your feel Create a friess menu. You are more likely to stick to a ktness routine if you have a variety of actnAes you enjoy SI down with a map of the area and look for parks or scenic bAe pafee You dont have to join a gym. Waking, running, bidng, and dancing are easy and tee. Develop incentive It you are motivated by health risks, tape a dflerent statistic on a door or wal of each room. If money makes you move reward yoursef by depositing a drne in a jar for every minute spent exertiang. Commit to be fit Writedown your goals for each day and make a commitment to accompish them, but make teem attainable. A body that has been sedentary for too long will be resislant to exercise at firsL Take a mental vacation. exercise time to think about pleasant things. Avoid using I as a time to ponder famly problems or bis. If exercise becomes associated wiiteustration and worry I might be avoided. I is essential to feel good during exercise.

Actiwte,dontvegelEle. The anterage person watches three to four hours of television per day One 30-minute television show could be spent jumping rope, or given up al together for a waA around the neighborhood.

Do it for the farriy. Stides show that parents'activity levels affect those of their chMren. Be a role model for your

children by showing them the importance of regular exercise.

wng them the importance

Information provided by the American Heart Association and at www.justmove.org/fitnessnews.

MARION COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

More mosquitoes with the West Nile confirmed

The lack of rain has been helping Marion County Health Department mosquito control crews as they continue to reduce the local mosquito population. Summer rains combine with hot, humid conditions to create a near perfect environment for mosquitoes to hatch. Areas where water collects and mosquitoes can breed in are often in remote areas where health department technicians have a tougher time locating, reaching and treating. “Even if we get rain, which we badly need, the recent dry spell has helped with our control efforts,” said Chuck Dulla, administrator of mosquito control. Health officials have confirmed additional sites with

mosquitoes testing positive for the West Nile virus, even with dry conditions. There have been a total of 19 county sites and 49 groups of mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile. Birds have been affected by the disease, but there have been no reported human cases of West Ni le virus in Marion County. The updated list of Marion County sampling sites with mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile include: 6134 N. King Ave., 3 positive sample results; 4921 S. Meridian St., 3 positive sample results; and Rural and Southern Avenue, one positive sample result. For a complete listing of all 19 sample locations, call (317) 221 -2000 or (317) 221-7440.

ControMngtfwvtruarwquirMth* control of tt» mosquito population, which la dona by reducing the numtoara of moaqulto larvae and ttUultM through methods Including: the reduction of mosquito breading habitats such as stanettno water arses, the aoDlication of

CHOLESTEROL UPDATE: Are you at risk?

(NAPSI) — A new cholesterol test can help physicians more accurately measure cholesterol levels and identify up to 90 percent of patients at risk for heart disease. For the most part, Americans know that high cholesterol is a leading risk factor for heart disease. Many also recognize that their cholesterol numbers should be at or near 200, with more “good” cholesterol (HDL) and less “bad” cholesterol (LDL). However, people may not know that routine cholesterol tests identify less than half of all patients who are at risk for heart disease. In other words, a patient can receive a "normal” cholesterol reading one day and still suffer a heart attack

the next. The new VAP Cholesterol Test measures HDL, LDL and triglycerides, and then breaks them down further, into what are called cholesterol subclasses — providing new clues about hidden heart disease risk. Recent research has identified a number of these cholesterol subclasses that can cause heart disease but are not measured with routine cholesterol tests. For example, high levels of Lp(a), known as the “widow maker,” can increase a person’s risk for heart disease by up to 70 percent. The VAP Test is easy to take and provides important information about these newly discovered risk factors for heart disease. It costs about the same as

the routine cholesterol test and is accepted by most insurance companies, including Medicare. The test also helps physicians comply with new, more stringent government cholesterol guidelines. It is important that you take charge of your heart health. Consider asking your physician the following questions about cholesterol and heart disease: • If I have a family history of heart disease but my routine cholesterol test results are normal, am I really OK? Routine cholesterol tests do not check for genetic risk factors such as Lp(a). New expanded cholesterol tests, however, measure these important hereditary factors. This information is critical to those with a family

history of heart disease, since routine tests can give patients a false sense of health. • How often should I have my cholesterol tested? Government guidelines recommend that adults over the age of 20 have their cholesterol tested every five years. People who are older or have cholesterol problems may need more frequent testing. Because the VAP Test provides a more complete cholesterol profile at about the same cost as the routine test, many doctors are now using it as the primary cholesterol test in their practices. For more information about expanded cholesterol tests, ask your doctor, call (877) 901-8510 or visit www.thevaptest.com.

t How to save money on medications

(NUE) — Have you ever wished you didn’t have to pay so much for your prescriptions and trudge to the drug store to have them filled?. If so, you’re in luck because, thanks to the Internet, your wish has come true. Many Americans cross the border to get their prescription and over-the-counter medications from Canada because they

often have to pay twice as much for the same medicines in the United States. Fortunately, you can buy medications from Canada without leaving home. You can shop online for over-the-counter medicines and have your prescription filled through Canadian online pharmacies such as Minit Drugs, which provide U.S. citizens with mail order prescriptions and

over-the-counter medications at a substantial savings from U.S. pharmacies. As a duly licensed pharmacy by the Alberta College of Pharmacists, Minit Drugs can save consumers 50 percent or more on many of the same medications purchased in the United States. After review by its Canadian physicians, Minit Drugs can fill

a prescription written by your American physician and send you up to three months worth of medications (if so prescribed by your American physician). To learn more, visit www.pharmacy-online.ca or call 1-877-530-3743.