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This article was downloaded by: [University of Birmingham] On: 19 November 2014, At: 02:22 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Strategies: A Journal for Physical and Sport Educators Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ustr20 Conrad Milne: Walk for Fun & Fitness Conrad Milne a a Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance , New Mexico State University in Las Cruces , NM Published online: 23 Jan 2013. To cite this article: Conrad Milne (1994) Conrad Milne: Walk for Fun & Fitness, Strategies: A Journal for Physical and Sport Educators, 7:6, 5-8, DOI: 10.1080/08924562.1994.10591985 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08924562.1994.10591985 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http:// www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

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Page 1: Conrad Milne: Walk for Fun & Fitness

This article was downloaded by: [University of Birmingham]On: 19 November 2014, At: 02:22Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House,37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

Strategies: A Journal for Physical and Sport EducatorsPublication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ustr20

Conrad Milne: Walk for Fun & FitnessConrad Milne aa Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance , New Mexico State University inLas Cruces , NMPublished online: 23 Jan 2013.

To cite this article: Conrad Milne (1994) Conrad Milne: Walk for Fun & Fitness, Strategies: A Journal for Physical and SportEducators, 7:6, 5-8, DOI: 10.1080/08924562.1994.10591985

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08924562.1994.10591985

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) containedin the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make norepresentations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of theContent. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, andare not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon andshould be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable forany losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoeveror howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of theContent.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematicreproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in anyform to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

Page 2: Conrad Milne: Walk for Fun & Fitness

oung students often need more physical activity than there is time for in today's

physical education classes. This lack of time, in addition to the lack of money budgeted for many physical education programs may frustrate you as a physical educator. However, there is something you can do to alleviate this frustration. And, you do not need expensive equipment to increase your students' activity levels.

A school-based walking program is an inexpen­sive and fun way to get students physically active. This program works because it can be adapted for students of any grade and it can be implemented as a physical education class unit , as an after-school activity, or as a recess pro­gram.

Objectives e Improve cardiovascular fitness and lower

body strength

e Reduce and control weight

e Teach training principles and fitness con­cepts

March-Aprill9941Strategies

Fitness e Enable, students to socialize with peers

through noncompetitive exercise

e Transfer academic information through fitness concepts and exe;rcise

Class Structure Set up a schedule-how many days per week and how long can your class walk? Try for three times a week. If you cannot integrate walking as a separate unit of your normal physical educa­tion curriculum, add it as part of your fitnass unit, or at the very least, during recess.

EquiPment This program does not require any special equipment for teachers or students. Teachers simply need a place to walk. Students need only what they normally bring to school. The only equipment they really must have is a comfort­able pair of walking shoes that have a good, cushioned insole and a sturdy heel cup; expen­sive walking shoes are not required.

Students do not even need to change into gym clothes to walk. When the weather is warm,

Conrad Milne is a professor in the Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM.

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Page 3: Conrad Milne: Walk for Fun & Fitness

Walk Safel!.'

Be sure to walk reasonable distances at safe paces.

Distance Use this formula to decide how far students should walk:

miles to walk = age divided by three , therefore , a nine year old should be able to walk three miles.

Miles to Walk = Age/3

Pace A slow pace for a child is 2.5 miles per hour (24 minutes per mile); a medium pace is 3.0 mph (20 minutes per mile) , and a fast pace is 3.5 mph (17 minutes per mile) .

Heart Rates To determine their target heart rates , have students take

a resting heart rate (HRr) , subtract their ages from 220, then subtract their HRr; multiply the resultant by 60 per­cent , and add the HRr to this figure . Do the same calcu­

lation for 80 percent. The two resultant values will cor­respond to the lower and upper limits for their target heart rate training zones.

220-Age-HRr = X 220-Age-HRr = X

Xx .60 = Y Xx .80 = Y

Y + HRr = Low

Y + HRr =High

photo courtesy of Conrad Milne

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students need to wear clothes that enable them to lose body heat. The best clothes for exercis­ing are made from synthetic fibers such as nylon, rayon or acrylic; they allow moisture to evaporate from the body to cool it. Cotton and wool retain moisture and heat, keeping them close to the body. In cooler weather, students

should not overdress, the active body quickly produces heat and in extreme cases, the resultant moisture may cause the loss of excess body heat leading to hypothermia. One caution: stay aware of the weather and the effects of climatic ex­tremes (i.e., heat and sun stroke, frostbite).

Training Paces When you are planning your program, decide which of several walking methods will work best for your students:

e pleasure walking-slow, even pace

e fitness walking-a faster pace with arms swinging, where the heart rate is elevated for at least 20 minutes (this is ideal for students)

e power walking-fast pace with the arms swinging vigorously with a corresponding heart rate elevation

e race walking-advanced technique using arms, hips, and legs at a very fast pace

Your first few walks should be about 20 min­utes at a pace that will not leave anyone behind. After students are comfortable completing this walk, gradually increase the length (duration) of your walk before you increase your pace (inten­sity) .

Eventually, students will find it only natural to swing their arms while walking. After a few classes, stress the use of the arm swing with the elbow bending at 90 degrees. Tell students to swing their arms forward to chest level at the midline and not further back than the buttocks. This will raise their heart rates and help develop upper body strength. As they continue walking, stress proper foot placement rolling from the heel and pushing off the toe, with the feet a little less than shoulder width apart. As stu­dents increase their pace, they will need to roll their hips forward, which will make their feet walk along an imaginary straight, single line. Tell students to walk relaxed with shoulders back and heads up, looking five to eight yards ahead.

Depending on their ages, children will walk at various speeds. You should try to be sure that students' paces do not produce side-stitches, or make them unable to carry on a natural conver­sation. To decide how far students should walk, use the formula shown above in the "Walk Safely" box on this page.

Strategies/March-Apri/1994

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Page 4: Conrad Milne: Walk for Fun & Fitness

Walk and Learn Use these games to keeP students• minds working while their bodies are walking.

AlPhabet Walks Students try to spot objects whose first letter spells out the 26 letters of the alphabet. Students should report them in alphabetical order and actually see them. Can

you or your team go from A to Z in 20-30 minutes?

Walk Across America Keep a map on your classroom wall and plot your daily progress using your classes' total miles. Using your daily averages, how many days would it take to walk across America? Where would you be by a cer­tain date such as Memorial Day? Could you do it in 80 days?

Calories How long would it take to walk off the calories in one

M&M, an apple, a hot dog etc.? As a rough guideline, use a "burn rate" of about 20 calories per quarter mile (or 80 calories a mile at a pace of about 3 .5 mph).

State License Plates On a walk, have students try to spot the most out-of­state car license plates. Award double credit if they can also name the capital of that state. Give points to students who can give additional information about that state such as size or population in comparison to your state, major exports, or the color and design of their flag.

IncorPorate Academics Into Your Walks Have your students keeP a daily walking log that can be integrated with academic subjects such as mathematics. social studies. language arts. human biology and nutrition.

Mathematics Instruct students to compute the miles walked using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. They can also work out their average miles per hour, averages per week, and con­vert their distances into the metric system.

Social science Keep track of the distance students have walked by travers­ing the nation on a wall map. Have the students produce research reports on the various states and capitals encoun­tered along the way.

Nature Walks Visit nearby streams, arroyos, woodlands, lakes, or beaches near you . That would allow you to integrate various topics in your science curriculum: catch tadpoles and other forms of marine life for zoology, gather flowers and weeds for botany, and different types of rocks for geology. Students love to wade in water so have them bring old shoes for these particular excursions. Of course, you will also need to get permission from parents for the students to participate in these types of activities.

LaMuaee arts Have the children write about their daily walks.

Human bioloev Study the structure and function of the various muscles used while walking.

Nutrition Talk about the food groups, diet control, the function of each nutrient in the energy cycle, and the caloric cost of each exercise.

Interest Walks These can be anything that would be of interest to your students such as a walk around a local farmer's field to study planting and irrigation methods, or to an orchard where students can get soil samples or apples; to a local museum where a lesson on a certain topic may be given e.g. dinosaurs; to a senior citizen center to interact with the residents; "let's stay healthy" walks to a nearby hospi­tal; to a police or fire station for information on safety; and nutrition walks to a grocery store.

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Page 5: Conrad Milne: Walk for Fun & Fitness

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Training Methods If your students are old enough to do their multiplication tables, at least in fourth graders, teach them how to take their pulses, using either the inside of the wrist or the carotid artery along the side of the neck. Then teach them how to compute their target heart rates using the formula in the "Walk Safely" box on page 6.

Warm-uPs Warm-ups and cool-downs are very important. These before and after activities should include stretches for the muscle groups used in walking to reduce the possibility of injury. Begin walk­ing slowly and after a few minutes when the blood, muscles, and joints become warm from the heat generated by the exercise , you and your class can stop and stretch the various muscle groups without fear of injury. If you do not want to stop and stretch, try this alternative to stretch while walking. Start your walk off slowly and perform these exercises with your students while you are moving at a slow pace:

e to stretch the shin muscles, have the stu­dents walk on their toes;

e for the calf muscles, have them walk on their heels;

e use crossover stepping to stretch the hips;

e bend from side to side to stretch the trunk, to stretch abdominal muscles;

e swing the arms locked together at the hands, to stretch the shoulders; and

e add retrowalking (walking backwards) to your routine; it stretches leg muscles in the opposite direction as walking forward . This type of walking should only be performed on flat surfaces. Be sure your students look behind them to see where they are going.

This alternative warm-up can be fun for younger students. It may help to maintain their interest in the program.

Cool down To cool down, gradually slow your pace during the walk's last five minutes. Follow this with five or ten minutes of various muscle stretches. Pay particular attention to the shin muscle (tibialis anterior); many children experience shin splints from overuse of this toe-raising muscle.

Water Walking An interesting way to modify your walking program is to walk in water. If you have access to a swimming pool you may wish to periodi­cally use water walking as an alternate exercise . Water gives students great resistance without the harmful , jarring effects their joints may experience on land. Begin by walking in thigh­deep water, gradually increasing to chest depth. You can use the same warm-up and stretching exercises you use on land to provide an exercise routine that will raise the students' heart rates . By using life jackets or waist belts you can have students walk in deep water, which is the ultimate workout as they increase their pace. As with any water course you teach, make sure your students follow pool safety guidelines and that there is a qualified life guard on duty at all times.

Evaluation Have students write down several goals for the program after your first few walks. For ex­ample, they could set a goal to walk a certain distance , walk at a particular speed or inten­sity, or decrease the amount of time it takes them to complete a mile walk. Use of an initial goal sheet is a great way to evaluate improve­ment for all students. You can easily see improvements in endurance and fitness by noting walking times and distances . Students can also chart weight changes, body girths and even their skin folds to evaluate their own body composition.

You can award certificates of achievement for the successful completion of predetermined distances. Knowledge tests on fitness con­cepts , diet logs , daily walking logs, points for a timed mile, essays on the benefits of exercise , walking, etc . may also be used for evaluation. If you use extra credit in class, give students points for writing critiques on walking fitness

· articles or participating in a local walking fund raiser

Walking is beneficial to students. And , if you introduce your students to a walking exercise program they enjoy, they may exercise outside of class. This could have a great impact on their activity patterns for the rest of their lives.

Sources Milne, C. Walhing Fitness, 1992, New Mexico State University

Strategies!March-Apri/1994

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