Walk and Feel Better

A guide for those in treatment

We all know that walking can help people to trim their waistlines, to lower their blood pressure, and to reduce their cholesterol. These are wonderful long term goals that most people need to adopt at some point; however, chemotherapy patients may have another more basic need. Your most pressing immediate need might be simply to feel better. You may have had to undergo surgery to remove your cancer and now you find yourself weaker than you were before. The chemotherapy treatment which follows the surgery can make you tired, listless, and even depressed. A walk every day can reduce or eliminate these problems. You can feel better, stronger, and more empowered.

How can walking make me feel better?

Walking has so many positive physical benefits. It tones and builds muscles, increases flexibility, improves circulation, helps to increase red blood cells, and helps to prevent bone loss and osteoporosis. Improved physical conditioning will help you to be more independent of others’ help. Just as important as the physical benefits, the emotional and psychological benefits can make a tremendous difference in your chemotherapy experience. Walking is a great vehicle for setting and accomplishing goals. Each day is an opportunity to set and reach a new goal.

Walking is good to get you outdoors. It prompts a change of scenery and is much more interesting than sitting in the den watching television. It can be done with friends and neighbors. You can carry on conversations with folks while you walk. Most importantly, walking can help you to feel like a regular person again and not just a cancer patient. Walking can help your quality of life to improve substantially.

How do I get started?

The first step is to wear a pedometer on your belt. A pedometer counts the number of steps that you take while wearing it. Hook it on your belt just above the crease in your slacks.  Put it on first thing in the morning and take it off last thing at night. Wear it for a few days to see how many steps you take in your daily routine. A popular goal is 10,000 steps a day, but most of us only take 3,000 to 4,000 on average. That means you are going to have to make an effort every day to get those extra 6,000 to 7,000 steps in. You can take a walk around the neighborhood or a park. You can resist the temptation to find the closest space to the grocery store door. You can take the dog for a walk; it will do you both good. Soon it will become a new challenge every day to find ways to get those steps in.  Remember: those steps still count even if you stop for lunch or shopping while you are on your walk.

If you find that you cannot walk 10,000 steps a day, build on what you can do. Try to increase your number of steps by 20% per week until you get to 10,000. If you average 4,000 steps a day, work toward 4,800 by the end of next week.

Recording your daily steps on a calendar will provide incentive, but remember that if you don’t make your goal today, there is always tomorrow. If you get really serious, you will be calculating average steps per week and then per month.

Once you make walking a part of your life, you will no longer have to think about ways to get your 10,000 steps in every day. It will become a habit with you.

How do I convert steps into distance?

The popular 10,000 Step program says that 10,000 steps equal approximately 5 miles; however, the conversion factor will vary from person to person. The best way to determine your conversion factor is to walk a known distance, for example around a quarter-mile track. If it takes you 550 steps to complete, one lap then your conversion rate is 2,200 steps equal 1 mile.

Where can I find more information about walking and cancer treatment?

Your physician should be your primary source of information. Talk with your doctor about your desire to walk and let him/her be your guide.

There are several good websites that you might want to check out. The American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org is, not surprisingly, the best source of information for the layman. The Walking Site at www.thewalkingsite.com is a good source for information on the 10,000 Step program.

What is EVERY STEP COUNTS?

It is a nonprofit corporation formed by a group of people who have walked in your shoes. These people include patients, caregivers, and supporters. Because we have seen firsthand how beneficial walking can be to someone going through chemo treatments, we want to encourage you to get out and walk.  Every Step Counts regularly sponsors fun walks for patients and their families. The walks are of varying lengths and are held in a different location every month. It often works in conjunction with hospitals and cancer centers and it welcomes all patients regardless of where you receive your treatments. Every Step Counts would like to give you a pedometer and to have you join us for a Saturday morning walk.  Check the Calendar of Events in the newspaper for information regarding this month’s date and location.

Every Step Counts also publishes a list and description of our favorite walks around town. If you would like to have a copy of this list or if you would like to add your favorite walks to the list, contact us by email, snail mail, or telephone. We would also love to hear from you if you have a question, want to know about the next walk, need a pedometer, or have a walking story that you would like to share.

We wish you the best and hope that you return to good health quickly.

Stay a Step Ahead of Recurrence

Walking made you feel better while you were taking your chemotherapy treatments, but don’t stop now. It may help to prevent a recurrence of your cancer. BE PROACTIVE! Eat right, including lots of fruits and vegetables, and exercise. Don’t just take our word for it. Look at what the experts have to say on the subject.

“Patients with Stage III colon cancer who walked at an average pace six days a week or had an equivalent exercise had a 51% reduced risk of having their cancer return compared to those who were less active.”

The Journal of Clinical Oncology, August 1, 2006 as reported on www.medicineworld.org .

“Breast cancer patients who exercise just a few hours every week reduce their risk of death up to 50% compared with inactive women, according to a new study bolstering the case that healthy living can protect against recurrence of breast cancer. This new study was particularly compelling because women who walked at a moderate pace for 3 to 5 hours weekly derived the maximum benefit.”

Journal of the American Medical Association, May 25, 2005 as reported on Baylor College of Medicine’s website www.breastcenter.tmc.edu .

“Pedometers can be a great for tracking progress toward your physical activity goals and for motivating you to keep stepping in the right direction”

American Cancer Society’s website www.cancer.org .

Some Favorite Walks

In Savannah

For this walker, one mile equals 2076 steps.

Downtown

River Street: Start in the parking lot on the west end. The paved walkway along the river begins here. It takes 2234 steps to reach the end of the walkway near the Marriott. Walk back to your car along the sidewalk in front of the stores, galleries, and restaurants. For the roundtrip distance double the 2234 and you’ve got slightly more than 2 miles. Remember: the steps still count even if you stop and have lunch along the way. It’s also fun to take the ferry across to the Westin. The walkway along the river there is 578 steps.

Jones Street: This is one of the most beautiful streets in the historic district. If you start at Tattnall St. and walk to East Broad it is 1452 steps. Roundtrip back to your car will be a little less than a mile and a half. Stopping and looking around in all those great shops and galleries will add some steps.

Bull Street: This is another street with great buildings, coffee houses, teas rooms, shops, and galleries. Start at the fountain in Forsyth Park and walk north. It will take 1196 steps to reach the NW corner of Oglethorpe or 1818 steps to go all the way to the NW corner of Bay St.

Forsyth Park: If you just want to walk in a rectangle and not be tempted to buy anything, it will take you 2213 steps, a tad more than a mile.

Ardsley Park/Daffin Park

Ardsley Park is that area of the city bordered by Victory Drive to the north, Bull St. to the west, 55^th St. to the south, and Waters Ave. to the east. It takes this walker 2076 steps to walk the mile distance from Bull St. to Waters Ave. (That’s where the mileage conversion factor comes from.) The neighborhood is roughly one square mile. There are many beautiful houses and parks contained within this area.

For a shorter walk start at the First Presbyterian Church on Washington Ave. Walk west to Abercorn, turn right and walk to 45^th St. Walk east on 45^th until you get to Theus Park. Take a sharp right and follow Chatham Crescent back to the church. This walk will take you past or through Tiedeman Park, Kavanaugh Park, Guckenheimer Park, the Mall on Atlantic, and Theus Park. This walk is about 3852 steps long or about 1.8 miles.

For a longer walk start off as before, but instead of turning right at Theus Park, turn left and walk to 44^th St. At Blessed Sacrament cross Waters and take a lap around Daffin Park. Cross Waters again on Washington and finish up at 1^st Presbyterian.  It takes me 6480 steps to finish this 3.1 mile route.

If you want to just take a lap around Daffin Park, it’s about 2696 steps. If you walk around the lake too, it will add 742 steps to your total.

Wormsloe

This beautiful site is now a state park, which means there is a $4 admission fee. Inside the park there is parking, restrooms, a museum & gift shop, and miles of well maintained trails.  I parked my car just inside the gate by the superintendent’s cottage and walked alongside the drive up to the museum (2544 steps). A stroll around the trail that leads to the ruins, grave sites, and the living history demonstration area took 1983 steps. By the time I got back to my car after visiting the museum, I had taken 7465 steps – 3.6 miles. There is also a longer trail that goes through the woods. If you add that trail to the mix it would bring the distance up to 6.2 miles. This Wormsloe adventure is a favorite with the American Volksmarch Association.

Isle of Hope/Bluff Drive

This walk includes some of the prettiest scenery in Chatham County. Start at St. Thomas Episcopal Church at the corner of St. Thomas Avenue and Parkersburg. Walk from the church to Richmond Drive and turn left. Richmond Drive makes a little U-turn at the water and becomes Avenue of Pines. At Noble Glen turn right and head toward Bluff Drive. Walk along Bluff Drive and admire the beautiful view. It’s a very narrow road, so be careful. At the end of Bluff Drive turn left onto LaRoche Avenue. Walk to Cornus, turn left, and head back to the church. Roundtrip is 5,430 steps.

Lake Mayer

This is a county operated park which features a large lake filled with ducks. Sailing lessons are offered here by the Savannah Sailing Association. It takes me 2810 steps to finish one lap around the track.

Tybee/Fort Screven

This walk starts from the parking lot near the Tybee Lighthouse. It follows a well marked bike trail along the road and goes past the old Officer’s Row on the left and Jaycee Park on the right. At 2^nd & Solomon you cross the dunes on a walkway and begin the beach part of the walk. Head north and walk to the jetty. Turn back and cross back over the dunes at the North Beach Grill. There are public restrooms near the North Beach Grill and you should be within site of your car in the parking lot. It takes this walker 4294 steps to complete the loop. It’s just a little more than two miles.

What are some of your favorite walks? Tell me about them and let me know how many steps it takes you to complete them. Contact me, DeDe Cargill, at everystepcounts@comcast.net.