Walk Talk Series
Day 7- Rest Days and Small Meals
You’ve Made It!
Congratulations – You have made it through the first week!
Today’s Walk
Rest Day – take a day off!
Rest Days
When just starting to walk, you may need a rest day every other day to give your muscles time to adjust and grow. This is natural. Those who are training hard for speed will also find it best to take a rest day every other day, to give the muscles time to repair and grow.
Walking for health or weight control it is best to walk most days of the week at a distance you increase by 10% a week until you are walking for 30 minutes – 1 hour per session. Each week I will include 1 rest day on the last day of the week. In coming weeks it will also be a place to learn about cross training, weight training and other healthy activities.
Meals – 3 Big, or 5 Small?
Tradition has many of us eating 2-3 large meals each day. But this can lead to a roller coaster ride for blood sugar. A better strategy to maintain energy and relieve hunger is to plan for 4-5 smaller meals throughout the day. Breakfast – lunch – mid-afternoon snack -dinner – evening snack. The total should fit into your daily calorie budget, which will mean eating mini-meals. It is also best to plan for a bit of protein with each meal.
Looking Ahead 
You spent Week 1 setting a goal and committing to it. Take some time today to think about what your life will be like when you achieve that goal. How will you feel about yourself? How will you celebrate?
