Walking versus Running

Walking and running are both great forms of exercise. Running burns calories more efficiently, creates more impact on your joints, and covers more distance in less time. Walking doesn't burn calories as efficiently as running, but it is much less impact on your joints, making it less likely for injury.

I use to be a runner, but due to continual injuries, I started to enjoy walking much more. When I want to burn calories more efficiently I get to the gym and hop on the elliptical where I can work hard without causing a flare up!

Running isn't for everyone. If you love to run, great! If not, don't sweat it. Go for nice long walks around your neighborhood, on a bike trail, or other nature trails! While it may not burn calories in the fastest manner, you are still burning calories and doing something healthy for your heart.

I took Nora for a long walk around our neighborhood this morning. We walked and walked and walked, totaling 80 minutes! I burned about 300 calories, making my remaining 270 calories I needed to burn! Yay! So finally for the first time in a while I have met my 3500 calorie burn challenge! I may not have burned as many calories as I would have on the elliptical or if I had been running, but then again I probably would have stopped long before 80 minutes too! So here is to the endurance of walking, allowing me to make my goal by just stepping outside!

Here is a look at comparing calories burned when walking and running. Remember, how much you burn is related to the time, the pace, and your weight. In the example below we are using a time of 30 minutes.                      

Weight  (lbs)	Walking (3miles/hour)	Running (5miles/hour)
100	99 calories	192 calories
110	108 calories	211 calories
120	118 calories	230 calories
130	128 calories	249 calories
140	138 calories	268 calories
150	148 calories	288 calories
160	158 calories	307 calories
170	168 calories	326 calories
180	178 calories	345 calories
190	188 calories	365 calories
200	198 calories	384 calories

I got the calories burned from this online calculator: http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

Enjoying The Outdoors

Summer is definitely coming to an end, but not quite yet. It is a beautiful day out today and I plan on spending some quality time out there with my baby girl! Nora has started walking a little bit; maybe we'll get to walk around in the yard! Sometimes she isn't too sure about grass and doesn't want to walk, crawl, or sit on it. Other times, she is on the move! We'll she what she does today. Not too many days left where we can go and enjoy our warm days outside!

I also made it to the gym this morning. Burned 600 calories, leaving me with 270 left to burn by tomorrow evening! Have you worked out yet today? If not, at least get outside and enjoy the weather!

Walk For Your Treats

Yesterday afternoon Nora and I decided to go on another walk. It was such a beautiful day and I was feeling like making our walk a little extra special. So I walked Nora down to our local pizza place, Papa Jimmy's, where they have my favorite ice cream. It took about 20 minutes to get there and then we ordered an ice cream cone. Nora loved it! When the ice cream was gone she kept saying "Nummy, Nummy, Nummy"! I guess I have passed on my love for ice cream onto my 1 year old daughter! Oops! After that we walked back home. Another 20 minute walk. It was perfect!

A few years ago, Chris and I had made a summer rule, that whenever we wanted ice cream we had to walk for it. It was a good rule that summer. We got a lot of walking in that year!

Walking to get a treat is great. You get a little bit of exercise and then treat yourself for it. Plus, you are burning off at least a little bit of your treat's calories! Try it sometime! Next time you want an ice cream treat, walk to your nearest  grocery store, McDonald's, or where ever they sell your favorite ice cream treat near you!

So I burned about 100 calories on our afternoon walk yesterday. I also made it to the gym this morning and burned 500 calories on the elliptical! That means I have 870 calories left to burn this week! What did your exercise regimen look like today?

Stroller Walks!

One of my favorite things is going on walks with Nora. I love pulling out the stroller, getting fresh air, and a little bit of exercise! Nora loves going on walks too!

Today, Nora and I got to go on an extra special walk with my friend Bethany and her new baby boy Blake! It was so much fun - minus Nora screaming off and on because I forgot her pacifier (which she calls "meme") in the car. Oh well, I will know better next time! 

Nora and Blake

I forgot to check the time when we started our walk, so I wasn't going to count any calorie burn. Luckily, Bethany knows I love counting my calories, so she told me the route we walked usually takes 40 minutes. So I am counting 100 calories for our walk!!!!!

That brings my total calorie burn for the week to 2,030 calories. That means 1,470 calories left to burn. Good thing I burned extra calories yesterday! Maybe I'll get another walk in with Nora later today too!

Do you like going on walks? If you have little ones, pull out the stroller and go on a nice walk today! If you do, ask a friend to join you! 

Great On-The-Go Snack

Recently, I have rediscovered muffins. If you are grabbing a muffin from a coffee shop or bakery, you are doing yourself a disservice. Most muffins are high in fat and sugar, leaving you with the amount of nutrition you would be getting from a bowl of sugary kid's cereal. The great thing is - muffins don't have to be bad for you! If you make them yourself and use healthy ingredients, you are bound to be making a healthy snack that you can grab out of the refrigerator (heat up in the microwave, if you wish) and go.


The KEYS to making healthy muffins:
Replace the flour in the recipe with: WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
Replace the oil in the recipe with: UNSWEETENED APPLESAUCE.
Replace the sugar in the recipe with: DATE SUGAR
Replace the eggs in the recipe with: EGG WHITES

Date sugar can be hard to find. I know Bob's Red Mill makes it, but I haven't gotten the chance to get it yet since learning about this great substitution. Dates are full of fiber, potassium, and many other vitamins and minerals. Plus, it is almost half the calories of regular sugar. Dates are 528 calories/cup while regular sugar is 774 calories/cup.

Here is my Zucchini Recipe! I have used all the healthy ingredients listed above with the exception of the date sugar. I used regular organic sugar since I don't have the date sugar yet. But I am excited to try it soon!

Ingredients
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup date sugar
1 1/2 cups zucchini, grated and squeezed 
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine egg whites, vanilla, sugar. Stir in zucchini. Stir in applesauce. Mix in baking soda and salt.
In a different bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Stir flour mixture into zucchini mixture.
Divide mixture among 12 muffin cups.
Bake 20 minutes. 

I love having these around for a quick breakfast or snack in the afternoon! They are only 100 calories!

Along with loving this muffin recipe, I loved my morning workout at the gym. I burned 770 calories on the elliptical. I kept going after 500 calories because I didn't want to turn the TV show I was watching off! That makes for a total of 1,930 calories burned so far this week! Did you get to the gym yet today?

And do you have a healthy muffin recipe that you love? Share it with me! I would love to try it!

Madison Arboretum

Me and Nora

Yesterday, we took Nora for a walk through UW-Madison's Arboretum. We had so much fun there. It is so peaceful being surrounded by nature!

The Arboretum is a place where ecological restoration and physical fitness can mesh.

While the vision of the Arboretum is to return this area of land back to it's more natural condition, they have made amazing pathways for hikers, walkers, bikers, and cross country skiers to enjoy Madison in it's most pure state. We had such a fun time just walking around the beautiful scenery.

My Husband Chris and Nora

I burned about 160 calories on our walk yesterday! I also went to the gym this morning and burned another 500 calories on the elliptical, stretched, and did my ab exercises!

That brings me to 1160 calories burned so far this week!

What did you/are you doing for exercise today? Are you out enjoying nature or sweating it out in the gym? Share your workouts with me here and stay motivated each and every day to get some physical activity into your busy day!

Labor Day Brings a Fresh Start

With Labor Day here it feels like Fall already. I'm ok with the weather changing. I like the slightly cooler days where you can walk around in jeans and a sweatshirt. It always feels like a fresh start. So I am taking a fresh start to the gym! I have been so horrible on getting to the gym regularly this summer and I'm ready to get back to working out every day.

Chris and I worked out this morning! I burned 500 calories on the elliptical and did my ab exercises, including 3 minutes of planks! It's nice burning 500 calories instead of 700 or 800. It seems so much easier. Plus, I need to balance my workout with some upper body and lower body toning. Cutting my cardio down to 500 calories will help me do that!

I am also still trying to drink 8 cups of water each day! It is still such a challenge for me. But like I started a few weeks ago - for each day I drink 8 cups I get to count 100 calories towards my goal!

Join me this week in making a fresh start with your workouts for the Fall season! Share your workouts - what is your favorite workout activity?

And later today, I think we are going to pull out the stroller and go for a family walk!