Walk Your Way to Better Health with Leslie Sansone

CBN.com Making Fitness Accessible

Leslie has always been concerned with fitness and began teaching aerobics in the 1980s. Seeing people struggle and fail on fad diets and exercise programs made Leslie determined to make exercise accessible to all. Part of her formula includes taking the intimidation away from exercise. The In-Home Walking concept came from the idea that Leslie had where she could remove all the factors that turn people off from maintaining a regular exercise program – expensive gym memberships, fancy workout clothes, and strenuous exercise that leads to burnout.

For more than 25 years, Leslie has coordinated public school programs and hospital-based, weight-loss programs. As the first ever guest to promote her product on QVC, Leslie’s In-Home Walking products and videos continue to be the most successful walking program on that show. She has also has the No. 1 selling fitness products at Target and Wal-Mart.

Leslie has traveled the world and has led millions of people in their quest for fitness and health. She says her mission is still the same: to speak to the person who is having trouble with motivation and has not exercised in years. This, she says, is a wonderful time of year to improve lives. “I love New Year’s because it gives us that fresh start motivation,” says Leslie. “We are reminded of God’s precious message that we can become new creations in Christ.” Leslie reminds us that it doesn’t matter what we did yesterday. We can do new things and be a new person today. “We have choices, and we can start fresh right now,” she says. At this time of year, Leslie says don’t do anything new other than begin a walking routine. “You’ll be amazed at how rewarding it is and how much it will change the quality of your life,” says Leslie.

There are several things that a walking program will do. First, you will feel better instantly. During brisk activity, powerful endorphins are released into the brain. They usher in a sense of well-being. Second, you will see the difference. In a few short weeks, you’ll lose weight and improve your health. Sugar levels go down, blood pressure drops, brain function improves, and metabolism increases. Third, you will live the difference every day. Walking opens your mind and heart. Physical fitness is connected to both mental and spiritual fitness.

The Wonder of Walking

Everyone can walk. While some people are skeptical about whether you can really get in shape with walking, Leslie says there are studies that confirm that walking is excellent exercise. Walking just 30 minutes a day, three times per week, reduces death from all natural causes by 55 percent! Walking is the perfect exercise to get your heart in the mid-level aerobic range where fat is burned most efficiently. “People rarely lose weight permanently with food diets alone,” says Leslie. “Yes, healthy eating is a vital part of long-term health and weight control, but it isn’t as important as the exercise component. And too many people do nothing because they have had bad diet experiences.”

While walking, it is important that you engage as many muscles as possible. Abdominals should be tight and shoulder blades retracted. Walking in place is beneficial because you lift your knees higher than if walking forward. Choose your pace based on abilities and goals, but begin and end each walk with a gentle warm-up and cool-down. After a few minutes of walking in place, mix in some side steps, which work out thighs, groin, and backside. For the first day, simply walk one mile, which should only take about 30 minutes.

Leslie was raised in a strong Catholic, Italian family. Steeped in tradition, Leslie realized as an adult that salvation did not come through traditions and made a decision to be a follower of Jesus Christ.