Natural Health Business Opportunity Presentation

Mug Shots: Dog Walker Arrested for Poop Assault

A Massachusetts woman managed to get arrested on four charges from my list of 10 ways walking can land you in jail.? Enraged when she saw a speeding driver almost hit a bicyclist, she tossed her dog's bag of poop into his face, reportedly to try to slow him down. This resulted in an arrest for four charges: assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, vandalism to property and disorderly conduct.

Is dog poop really a dangerous weapon? If so, can you be arrested for carrying it down the street on the way to a trashcan, as millions of conscientious dog walkers do every day? Who knew?

Have you ever been arrested or cited while walking? Give us your confession.

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Cinque Terre Bans Plastic Water Bottles for Walkers

One of my favorite walking days of my life was the day I walked the path along the Cinque Terre coastline in Italy.? Photos of walking the Cinque Terre

It's likely that I carried along a refillable plastic water bottle, as do the other three million tourists who visit there each year.? The region has tired of the two million plastic water bottles they toss each year and now has banned plastic water bottles.? They will sell reusable metal flasks for 1 Euro and are installing new water fountains with filtered water - chilled, fizzy and still water.

This is really quite a deal, considering the price of bottled water. The authorities have tested the water mains and determined the water is as pure (or more pure) as bottled water.? I would quibble that my reusable (although plastic) water bottle should be acceptable as well.? Sometimes I can taste metal flavor from steel water bottles such as Klean Kanteen, although the Sigg aluminum bottles seem not to have this problem. I would love to return, walk, and drink from the new fountains.
Photo © Wendy Bumgardner

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Tapering for Your Marathon or Half Marathon

Last weekend I finished my last long mileage day before my half marathon, which is now less than two weeks away.? For this coming weekend, I will be walking lower mileage - tapering.? For a full marathon, that should be 10 miles or so at race pace.? For a half marathon, six miles at race pace.

Tapering gives the body time to do its final muscle building and repair.? It also gives you time to heal up those final foot blisters.? Sure enough, I got a small one on my last long walk. This week would be the right time to shop for any final gear you need to replace and to test it out on your final weekend walk.? Nothing new after that, you don't want to have anything new on race day.

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More Ways to Burn Fat

Walking, running and biking are great ways to burn fat.? But other exercise activities that build muscle, core and balance can also burn calories and fat. Plus, crosstraining will give you the best overall fitness.? How much fat do you really have to lose? The quick way to figure it out is to use the BMI Calculator. All you need is your height and weight, and the number tells you whether you are normal, overweight, or obese. To get a measurement of fat percentage, you will need to use a body fat monitor, fat calipers, or get an body fat assessment using other techniques. Our fitness Guides have collaborated to give you the skinny on burning fat.

Advice for Burning Fat

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Fitbit Wellness Monitor - Almost Perfect

My discerning walking buddy Nona did a lot of comparison shopping for a pedometer/wellness monitor that would upload data and help track diet as well as exercise.? She chose the Fitbit because, unlike most uploading pedometers, it worked with a Mac as well as a PC.? It also had no additional yearly subscription fee to upload your data to their web site.?The Fitbit had been well-reviewed, but with the drawback in that it was back-ordered for months.? After she got hers, I popped to buy one to review and I received it about six weeks later.

The Fitbit is small, quiet, and super convenient to use.? It uploads wirelessly, whenever you are within 15 feet of the computer you have its USB base station plugged into. You never have to think about it. It does its job automatically.? It only has one button, to change the display and to start and stop tracking of your sleep quality.? You can't botch this up.

The web site is easy to use and navigate to add to your food log, weight, and other health indicators such as heart rate, blood pressure, and blood glucose. You can customize it to track anything you want, like smoking, alcohol, push-ups, mood.

The drawback that keeps it from being perfect?? The display on the Fitbit itself is a lighted LED, which is fine indoors. It is pretty much invisible outside in daylight.? When I'm out on a long walk and want to see how far I've gone, I have to duck into a building or try to shield it somehow.? That's not convenient. Also, I added a security leash to keep it from leaping off my waistband. But other than that -- pretty much perfect.

Fitbit Full Review
Photo © Wendy Bumgardner 2010

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One Month to the Half Marathon or Marathon

It's one month until my next half marathon walk, and I am in the final training phase.

Shoes: I've started wearing a new pair of the same model of shoes I've been training in, so they will be properly broken in (and my feet used to this pair) but still have low mileage and good support and cushioning for the event. Sports Drink: I've checked the race web site to find out what kind of sports drink they are providing on the course.? They are providing a drink that replenishes salts but has no carbs, so I'll have to bring my own energy gel or energy bars if I need carbs on the course.? It is wise to train with the same sports drink that is provided on the course, or plan to bring along your own.Clothing and Gear: I'm training wearing the shirt, shorts, sports bra, socks, shoes, hat and pack I'll be wearing on race day.? That way I'll know ahead of time what works well. I won't be surprised that my cell phone doesn't fit in my pack, as happened to me one year.Blister and Chafing Prevention: I have been using the same blister-prevention prep that I will use during the event. Don't experiment with anything new at the event, test it out now. I got shocked at a winter half marathon when the cold and wind led to unexpected thigh chafing, so I'll be sure to pack along a Blister Shield towlette just in case something weird happens next month.Partners: I've been training both alone and with my walking buddies who will be at the race.? In the end, I'll probably encourage them to go their own pace and I'll go mine, that has worked well for me.? It is best to work that out with your walking partners before the race.Race Day Planning: I know where the race starts and ends and how I plan to get there and back. Now we just need to plan the after-party!Long Mileage and Tapering: I'll be walking long mileage on the next three weekends, then the weekend before the event I'll be cutting back to a shorter-mileage day - tapering.? That allows the body to do final repair (including healing any blisters) and keeps your energy high for the race the next weekend.? If I were tapering for a marathon, I would do my longest mileage three weeks before the marathon and cut back for the two weekends before.

The Month Before Your Marathon or Half Marathon

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