EXERCISING YOUR IMMUNE: MEASURING YOUR SUCCESS
Use your heart to determine whether you’re walking rapidly enough. Count your heartbeats by feeling your pulse at your wrist, your temples or on either side of your neck.
Count the number of times your heart beats in ten seconds. Multiply that number by six to get your heart rate per minute. The goal is to walk briskly enough to keep your heart beating at 70 to 80 percent of your maximal attainable heart rate. The 70 to 80 percent range will vary according to your age. Check your pulse a couple of times during your walk, and again when you finish, to make sure you’re pacing yourself just right.
If you think daily walking would be boring, who says you have to walk by yourself? Years ago I took brisk evening strolls with my young children. We’d start from our house and walk all the way down the hill, then over to the shopping center. It was about a two-mile walk. Then I’d call my wife to bring the car and drive us back up the hill. (I would tell her the kids were too young to walk up the long, steep hill. The truth was I was too lazy.)
The time I spent walking with my children was great. We talked about baseball, medicine, history or whatever else was on our minds. They would tell me the latest jokes from school. Our walks were always enormous fun.
I’ve exercised with my family, friends, patients and business colleagues. While exercising I’ve chatted, conducted business, given medical advice, caught up with old friends and talked through ideas for books and articles with my son and coauthor, Barry.
And when I’m walking alone I use the time for sightseeing and mental relaxation. Sometimes I’ll include streets such as Rodeo Drive in my exercise route. That gives me a chance to window-shop. Other times I’ll walk in the park or among the beautiful houses of Beverly Hills. Walking is an exercise that leaves you free to think, see, hear, talk and laugh all you like.
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