Over 18,000 people turned out for Atlanta’s 20th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this past weekend! We were proud to walk with our Susan G. Komen Pink Poles, and enjoyed meeting many passionate walkers and runners impacted by breast cancer. Watch the event on video and come out next year!

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Fox 5 Atlanta’s ‘Road Warrior’ Stacy Elgin is gearing up for this weekend’s Susan G. Komen 5k run/walk at Atlantic Station, and introduces the increasingly popular exercise of Balance Walking- a fantastic and fun way to participate in the event! If you’re planning on walking in the Komen Race for the Cure this weekend at Atlantic Station, grab some poles and join us! contact Terry Kennedy, Director of Balance Walking at tkennedy@footsolutions.com and let’s walk for a cure.

$5 for every set of Pink Balance Walking Poles sold is donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure!

Balance Walking is quickly catching on around the country- haven’t you seen it on Modern Family?? (Watch Phil’s mad Balance Walking skills at the 1:35 mark in the video).

In fact, Phil is right- you really can get in great shape by Balance Walking, but you have to do it properly! Its a great activity and fun to do as a group activity. With the Balance Walking poles, you burn up to 46% more calories, you work 90% of the muscles in your body, and can do it all in just 15 minutes a day…watch the video tutorial below to learn the technique of Balance Walking!

Renee Mclaughlin, Certified T-Tapp trainer and Health Coach has, for years, implemented balance in her daily life- balancing nutrition, balancing activity, balancing life and work. Recently, Terry Kennedy, Director of the Worldwide Balance Walking Program, introduced Renee to the Balance Walking Concept and she was instantly intrigued… well, I’ll let her tell you the rest of the story! Read more about Renee’s Balance Walking experience here… and if you’re in the Atlanta area, grab some poles and give Renee a call!

Bonnie Hunt Features the new Pink Balance Walking Poles on her show of over 1 million daily viewers….now’s time to get in shape with Balance Walking!

From now – September 31, 2010, Foot Solutions will donate $5 to Susan G. Komen for the Cure for each set of Pink Poles sold!

Walking with poles… where’s the snow?  The concept may be new to you, but to this group in East Cobb, Balance Walking is the exercise of choice.  Why is it catching on so quickly?  You burn 46% more calories using the poles, but the social element that attracts so many walkers is still there.  And for many who enjoy the benefits of walking outside, Balance Walking adds a new dimension to the exercise.  Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in Marietta recently started two classes, instructed by Master Trainer Laurie Marks:

“Walking with the poles engages the entire body and you can actually feel the burn throughout your shoulders and arms- its a great feeling to get an upper body workout during your walk!”

What  makes Balance Walking the perfect exercise?

• Burn 46% MORE calories than regular walking
• Its Social!
• Tone arms and shoulders… while walking
• Eases stress on knees, hips and back.

What have you been waiting for? Join Laurie’s class today by visiting Johnson Ferry Baptist Church or email events@footsolutions.com to find a class near you!

Each year, thousands of enthusiastic walkers around the country gear up for an annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk to raise funds and spread the word about their organization of choice. St. Clare’s Foundation in Chester, New Jersey recently hosted their 8th annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk on September 20th. Mike and Judy Topeka, Owners of the Foot Solutions in Chester New Jersey, volunteer every year for this event as their way to give back to an organization that has saved many lives, including Judy’s.

Judy is a proud breast cancer survivor and was treated by St. Clare’s Hospital nearly six years ago. The best part about the annual walk? All funds raised are used for support and treatment at the Cancer Care Center at St. Clare’s Hospital! Mike and Judy had such a great time, as they do every year- they walked with their Balance Walking Poles, drawing attention from every direction during the 5k walk.  Over 2,000 walkers (and one adorable puppy dressed in pink) participated in the event, bringing in over $150,000! Whether you are a volunteer, walker, or a survivor, finding a cause to support is a great way to give back to those in need.

If you’re like thousands of others participating in a breast cancer awareness walk this year, make sure you check you shoes and feet for trouble signs.  Keep your feet happy, healthy and blister free all the way to the finish line!

We spent our weekend Balance Walking around the ALIVE Expo in Downtown Atlanta- and had a blast talking with everyone there!   Thousands of health enthusiasts from all over the southeast came to  learn ways of living a healthier life. Whether you were a fan of the Chung Shi,  Reebok EasyTone or Foot Solutions in general, remember that we’re all about Better health through your feet-  we want you to take care of your feet so you can enjoy an active lifestyle!   I hope you all had as much fun as I did this at the Alive Expo and I can’t wait to see you again next year.  Missed your chance to ask us about your foot pain? No worries! You can contact us anytime at experts@footsolutions.com

How does America Stay in Shape?

Hiking?  Weight Lifting?  Yoga??   Try walking for exercise- the #1 participant activity surveyed by the NSGA (National Sporting Goods Association).  Nearly 100 Million Americans hitting the pavement, but with a walking pole in each hand and working 90% of the muscles in your body.

How does walking for exercise work my entire body?

With nordic walking poles, you engage your shoulders, arms and core to burn MORE calories in LESS time.  Put a pair of Chung Shi shoes on your feet and you can burn up to 50% more calories by exercise walking…. we simply call it Balance Walking.

Where can you learn more about the country’s most popular exercise? visit www.balancewalking.com for more information on how you can begin living a healthier life- in just 15 minutes a day.

“As a 60-year old active physician, it was immediately obvious the value of Balance Walking.  Many of my patients were stuck in a rut of needing exercise but not feeling comfortable in traditional gyms or training regimens.  Balance Walking is the best low impact, cardio activity I came across.  Our patients walk for their heart, their health, their life” -Inner City Hospital Heart Surgeon, Dr. Art L.

For some of us, absolutely.  It’s common for people to turn to the fridge for comfort, especially when stress plays a significant role at work.   “Forget the freshmen 15- Offices (and homes for the newly unemployed) are the new breeding grounds for getting chubby” explains Helena Oliviero of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.  With stress of work and the economy,  a bowl of ice cream or a bag of chips may provide the best comfort.

In the recent article, Oliviero mentions that a recent survey released by the American Psychological Association found that 8 out of 10 Americans blame the economy as a major point of stress, and about 50% of Americans admit to overeating junk food as a coping mechanism. Yikes.

So what can you do if you just can’t say no to Fritos?  Offset it with a little exercise…. at work! Its unrealistic to drive to the gym, workout, and rush back to the office- but there are a few things you can do to burn off a few hundred calories- and more importantly, relieve  stress.  At the Foot Solutions’ World Headquarters, the staff dedicates 15 minutes per day to walking (top left).  Your heart rate goes up, stress levels comes down… and it’s great exercise.  Click here to read the full article from the AJC.

So tell us, has the economy led to stress eating for you?