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Come walk and hike
with me in the Jungfrau region
(Click the photo to see a larger version) |
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Walking Tours, Tips and Classes
Geared To Folks Over 40.
About Walk For All Seasons
Walk for All Seasons, was founded in 2003 by Maggie Spilner, former Prevention Magazine walking columnist and author of three books on walking for health and fitness.
Maggie authored hundreds of articles on walking during her 20-year career at Prevention, and was director of Prevention Magazine's Walking Tour Program for many years. She is a certified Dynamic Walking Trainer and Registered Yoga Teacher, and enjoys giving walking tips and leading stretches and yoga classes during the tours.
Maggie's tours have been developed with the 40 plus walker in mind, with an emphasis on scenic venues with sure-footed walking and moderate hiking paths. Our goal is to enjoy local scenery, culture and cuisine while being both invigorated and relaxed by exercise. We stay at picturesque inns, hotels or bed and breakfasts well situated to our walks, hikes and cultural excursions.
"Walking Tours are a fabulous way to travel both as a couple and as a single person. All the details are taken care of and you can enjoy a vacation that is both relaxing and invigorating, without any of the headaches of planning or driving. No maps, no hours of research --just camraderie and adventure! I escort all of my walking tours,and lead walk and hikes with the help of local experts and specialty tour guides. If you have any questions about a tour, call or email. You'll speak directly to me and I often respond by email within a few minutes. If calling, please respect calling times between 7 AM and 8 PM Eastern Standard Time. " -- Maggie
For Information On Maggie's Walking Tours for 2010, please click on the Walking Vacations Button above.
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Featured Tip
11 Ways to Feed Your Walking Habit
And keep those health benefits coming
By Maggie Spilner
Recently the American Podiatric Medical Society ran a list of alternative activities for people who felt their walks were just too boring. While I agree that some variation in exercise is a plus both for your body and your mind, I don’t agree that walking has to become boring or static. A walk can be like an oasis in a hectic day or a mini-vacation when the world seems like “too much.” It can provide an exhilarating workout or simply a release of tension and break from too much sitting. With such easy access and so little cost or hassle, a walk is just too good of an exercise option to, well, walk away from.
Here are 10 ways to make sure your walks keep you coming back for more.
1. Keep a pair of walking shoes and socks in your car. If, during your day, you pass a tempting park or an alluring pathway stop, slip on your shoes and take a stroll. Even 10 minutes is nice break and will boost your health.
2. Find a buddy for at least 2 walks a week and keep it regular. Meeting a friend is always a good way to cement a relationship with them and with walking.
3. Boost fitness and fat burning with interval training. This simply means, warm up, walk steady and add increasing long bursts of fast walking. This type of training increases your endurance, cardiovascular fitness and burns more fat that steady state walking.
4. Access hills for at least a one day a week heart healthy challenge. If you’re a flat lander, find some stadium stairs or other architectural feature to include in a walk. I walk on a flat tow path for two miles, then climb 5 flights of steps up to a bridge that brings me back to my car down a different shady street.
5. Got water nearby? A walk around a lake or along a river or canal is always a pleasure. “Breathing in” the greenery and watery reflections can soothe your soul and reduce the effects of stress.
6. Practice a meditative technique while you walk. The natural, stress reducing effect of a rhythmic walk, combined with a mental technique can be especially soothing. It can be as simple as breathing in for four steps and breathing out for four steps, keeping your mind focused on the steps or the breath and allowing other thoughts to pass. Or just count triplets. One two three, one two three – and you’re waltz walking!
7. Got calls to make? Clip on your headset and take your cell phone to the road. You can talk and walk, giving your butt a break and swinging your arms for release of shoulder tension.
8. Try a pair of walking poles. You’ll burn some extra calories and get a synergistic workout without the muscle strain that can occur from walking with weights.
9. Head for town or for the mall. Sometimes nature just isn’t calling. You may be more entertained window shopping. Walking errands you normally drive to can give you a different perspective on your neighborhood and having a specific destination can make the walk seem more purposeful.
10. Tunes are always an invigorating option. Or download a pod cast or pick up some books on tape from your local library and listen while you walk. Just make sure you’re in a place that’s safe from hazards and where you’re not totally alone and unaware of your surroundings.
11. Don’t forget the dog! Your pet needs exercise too! And few dogs can say no to an outstretched leash. If your pet is a lousy walker, consider some obedience training classes. There’s nothing quite like walking with a grinning, well heeled dog.
For more tips click on Maggie's Tips on the Toolbar on the home page. |
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