A friendly reminder about Nordic walking in Tuscaloosa this Saturday!

I didn’t know that Scarlet Johansson, Ben Stiller, and Adam Sandler are Nordic walking fans. Do I know who they are? Do I care? But I do care about helping you grow in Nordic walking!

<image008.jpg>And since I have your attention, here’s a friendly reminder about another Nordic walking session. Come to the gym of First Baptist Church Tuscaloosa and learn about Nordic walking, a fun and effective way to exercise. It’s also a great social activity because you can walk with other people and enjoy their company.

We’ll be indoors, so dress comfortably. We’ll practice with Nordic walking poles to burn calories, tone muscle, and improve overall health. This will be a free session. For more information about Nordic walking, check out the Nordic Walking Guy blog and the Facebook page.

If the weather permits, we’ll go outside to Government Plaza and walk there. As the weather gets better, we’ll go to other venues to practice and enjoy each other’s company. 

Instructor: Leroy Hurt, Associate Dean at The University of Alabama and a certified Nordic walking instructor

When: Saturday, February 27, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM.

Location: 721 Greensboro Avenue  |  Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35401. The gym (Family Life Center) is on 23^rd Avenue between 7^th and 8^th Streets.

Weight generates a whole new set of problems

Business Insider and WalletHub linked to a Journal of the American Medical Association study about weight problems in the US. Here are some highlights:

• Purpose:
• "Update an earlier study about "the prevalence of overweight and obesity by sex, age, and race/ethnicity."
•  Compare "the values with those of the earlier study."
• Method.
• The data came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2007-2012).
• The data covered adults 25 years old and older and excluding pregnant women.
• The Body Mass Index (BMI) formula was weight (kilograms) ¸ height (meters squared). BMI categories were:
• Underweight (<18.5)
• Normal weight (18.5-24.9)
• Overweight (25.0-29.9)
• Obesity class 1 (30.0-34.9)
• Obesity class 2 (35.0-39.9)
• Obesity class 3 (≥40).
• Results.
• "…39.96% of men and 29.74% of women were overweight."
• "…35.04% of men and 36.84% of women were obese."
• "Compared with 1988-1994, the distribution of the population’s weight status has increased in the past 20 years."

WalletHub took it another step and described most of the weight problem areas as falling in the Southeastern US. Those states with the most weight problems tended to have a higher prevalence of chronic diseases and lower levels of physical activity.

What this means.

• Over 2/3 of people living in the US have high BMI. If we accept the argument that BMI may be overly aggressive in calling people overweight, the evidence of our own eyes suggests that people living in the US may have weight problems.
• Diet and activity are important managing healthy weight, especially as we grow older.

The Nordic Walking Guy says Nordic walking can help increase people's activity levels because it's a fun way to engage the whole body. People can also enjoy each other's company if they walk with others.

Reading

In case you're interested: One of a number of books about Nordic walking sold on Amazon in Kindle and paperback. There is extra information about the health and rehabilitative benefits of Nordic walking.