I have decided to start walking again. As exercise, that is. I can’t/won’t afford to join a gym and my doctor told me that walking 45 minutes a day, three days a week would be greatly beneficial. However, with Daylight Savings Time, it’s dark (and, lately, cold) when I get off work. Besides, I’m usually beat, mentally and physically, when I get home. So, I figure I can walk during my lunch hour. My question is this:
Should I:
a) eat lunch first
b) walk first and then eat
c) skip lunch and just walk
I really enjoy walking and can usually get a good pace going (4.5-5mph).
Any medical/exercise experts are welcome to jump in.
*Are you walking to exercise, lose weight, both?
Skipping lunch probably isn’t the greatest plan, as you will become even more tired in the evening and throw off your dietary pattern.
*I would say that, if possible, split up the times into smaller intervals. With walking, endurance isn’t as much of an issue as it is with running or other sports.
*If you had 3 sessions of 25 minutes and two of 40, you’ve just added another twenty minutes to your weekly total [sub](I checked my math twice, I better be right)[/sub]. This way your weekend can hold the two 40 minute walks. Lunch breaks can consist of a 25 minute walk on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with lunch immediately after (though you should drink a good deal of water about 10 minutes before you walk). This is by far NOT the greatest plan ever, but I think it’s half-decent.
(For the weekend runs, if at all possible, I recommend jogging for 8 to 10 of the 40 minutes, then building up. That is unless you have some sort of preclusion like a heart condition, etc.)
Your best bet is to try it both ways and see which way works better for you.
Most people say to not exercise right after eating as it will give you cramps. However, I’m hypoglycemic and if I were to try to exercise at lunch before eating, I would probably faint. I’ve had many times in my life where the only real time I could exercise was right after eating and I’ve never had a problem at all. OTOH my body is strange - I’ve also exercised quite often just before bedtime, and it actually helped me to get to sleep.