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BEST EXERCISE EQUIPMENT EVER
Why is there a promo for exercise equipment on a publisher’s web
site? Because sometimes a product has such a profound
influence on your life that not to share the information
wouldn’t be fair. And Water Walkers absolutely changed my life.
A
publisher spends a lot of time behind a desk but I spent more
time sitting than most, because an arthritic hip made movement painful.
And when it hurts to move, you don’t. By the time
I realized I had to do something I was so out of shape that
moving was painful for lots of other reasons.
Because
of the impact on my hip, I couldn’t walk fast
or far. Exercising on a treadmill was out for the same reasons. I couldn’t
use an elliptical trainer because my range of motion was gone;
ditto for a stationary bike, even a recumbent. I needed to move,
but the exercise that would allow me to do it more easily was impossible.
I was stuck; trapped in a downward spiral I didn’t know
how to make better or even stop.
Then
I discovered the water. Water exercise is not just low impact – it’s
no impact. I joined a water arthritis class. Lots of stretching helped
increase my range of motion. Next came a water aerobics class, and working harder
definitely helped my hip. But after a few months I noticed
something odd. I felt better, but I hadn’t lost much weight.
Nor had any of the other participants. Worse, my body fat percentage
hadn’t changed at all and mine, after years of immobility,
was dangerously high. I did some research to try and find out why.
Turns
out that in order to burn fat (instead of just carbs) while exercising,
you need to include three essential elements: a moderate pace;
continuous movement for at least 30 minutes; and exercises
that involve the core muscles. At the time I didn’t even know
what the core muscles were (glutes, lower back, and abdominals),
but I soon learned. Turns out that while water aerobics are great
cardio, they only meet one of the three essentials: continuous movement.
Core muscle use is only sporadic. The pace is often fast, slow
and in-between. I needed to find an exercise that would provide
all three elements, yet that even someone as limited as me could
easily use.
WHY SWIMMING DOESN’T WORK
The problem with swimming is that although it’s
a great cardio workout that certainly burns calories, your chest and arms do most of the work. Instead of your legs (and abs) pushing you
through the water, your arms pull you through. As a result, core muscles are not as involved. Duck your head under the water at a
pool and watch the swimmers. Strong arms. Strong chests. Tummy just going from side to side, and legs splashing up and down instead of
back and forth. No core muscle involvement - no third element required for major fat burn.
Then I discovered Water Walkers.
They seemed simple enough to use, and the exercise videos on their site looked
reasonable, so I got a pair. I looked like a dork when I put them on and waddled
out to the deep end (you need a pool at least 5 ft. deep), but I ignored the stares
and kept going. I wanted a challenging, but still fairly easy 30-minute work-out; after all,
I had built up a fair bit of stamina in those classes, right?
Well. The
first day was… interesting. Five minutes into my 30-minute
jogging routine I began to sweat. In the water. Three minutes after
that I threw myself onto the side of the pool gasping for breath.
Still sweating. I’d lasted a total of eight minutes. How was that possible
when I was able to take a forty-five minute water aerobics class
with no problem?
Easy. It turns
out that unlike jogging on a treadmill (which burns about 8
calories a minute), or simple water jogging (11 calories), the Water Walkers, by adding five times your
bare foot’s
resistance to the water, burn 18 to 20 calories a minute! Twenty calories. Per minute.
Next
time out I only lasted the same eight minutes, but I added two minutes
each session after that. Eventually I worked my way up to forty-five minutes
per session, three times a week. I won’t bore you
(as I have family and friends) with a week-by-week playback — I’ll
just give you the stats. In the last fifteen months I have lost
58 60 65 pounds. I have converted a whopping 45% of my body fat
to muscle mass. I have lost – and I’m not particularly
proud to say it – an amazing 16 inches off my waist. And
dropped six dress sizes.
Oh
yeah… and this was without a diet. None. Of any kind.
Turns out Julia Child (and our moms) were right: Everything in
Moderation. And believe me, I eat everything. Double everything
if it’s chocolate-covered. Well, at least a piece or two.
The
folks at my local Y still stare at me when I don my
gear (I’ve added work-out gloves and a fabulous
WATERPROOF MP3 Player), but now it’s because they’re wondering
where that really large woman has gone to. I sort of disappeared
right before their eyes. And so many people began asking how I
did what I did, asking if it would work for them, that I’ve
been invited to teach a deep water jogging class using the Walkers. No one is more
amazed than me.
I got a brand new hip in September (exercise,
no matter how great, won’t cure arthritis) but thanks to
my Water Walkers I’ve been able to hit the ground running and
am well on my way to a full recovery.
I’ve still got twenty fifteen pounds to go before reaching
my overall goal, but they’ll be gone by Christmas. And I
decided that if my being painfully honest about my physical condition just
over a year ago could help even one person out there who may
be in the same place now, whether due to arthritis, age or other problems,
then I had to do it. The good news is that the me who lived that limited life is gone,
and my life will never be the same. Helping to make that true for
even one of you will be meaningful to me; hence this page. I’ll
update it with progress reports from time to time and meanwhile, I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have. Just click
here.
Until
then – Happy Jogging!
Lisa
Grant, Publisher
The Writers’ Collective
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