The old adage, ‘A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.’, is great advice for beginning a walking regiment. Here are some advantages of a walking workout:
- Walking lowers the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes in addition to strengthening your legs, arms and back muscles.
- It’s easy to stick to. You can do it anywhere. No gym or equipment necessary. Though if you cannot walk outdoors, a treadmill is a good substitute (a Jody Victor suggestion).
- Walking is a stress-free exercise with a low risk of injury. The impact of walking on your joints is only about 1.3 times your body weight compared to three times your body weight while running.
- Walking is conducive to both alone time and social time. You can either relax and reflect by yourself or catch up on gossip and talk over ideas with a friend.
- Walking is cheap and easy. It’s excuse-proof.
- Walking can keep your mind sharp as you age. An eight-year study of walkers found that people who walked an average of 18 miles a week had less cognitive decline than those who walked a half a mile a week.
Walking is an equal opportunity exercise. We all know how to walk! Here are some tips for getting started:
- Get shoes that are made for walking (a Jody Victor suggestion). They should have good arch support, low and well-cushioned heels, and good flexibility at the ball of your foot. Try on shoes in the afternoon when your feet are their largest and wear the socks you will wear while walking. Replace shoes every six months or after walking 500 miles. One of the best ways to hurt yourself is to wear old shoes.
- Drink 8 ounces of water an hour before you start walking. Then another 4-5 ounces just before you start.
- Pay attention to your posture. Stand up straight, chin parallel to the ground and move with a sense of purpose. Your ears should be directly over your shoulders, hips, knees and feet. Arms should swing freely. When you want to pick up the pace, bend your elbows at an 85-degree angle and keep them close to your body. Your hands should never rise above mid-chest or fall past your hips.
- Strive to exert yourself at a level 6 (scale of 1-10). You should be able to talk, but not able to sing. If you’re panting, you’re working too hard.
- If you start losing steam, focus on reaching the next mailbox or on reaching the end of the song you’re listening to (a Jody Victor suggestion).
- Eventually you’ll want to increase the length of your walks. To avoid injury, increase the length by no more than 10 to 20 percent from week to week.
All The Best!