This is a great way to improve your physical fitness and health in general. The movements are safe, almost unstressed, available to the vast majority of people, and are comparable in effect to more vigorous types of cardio training. But most importantly, walking is easy to incorporate into the routine of the day.
- Useful for the heart, lungs and blood circulation
- Helps to lose weight
- Increases muscle tone of the lower body
- Increases the strength of the bones of the lower body
Walking is a simple, convenient and varied activity. You can walk in the park, wander through the forest, go hiking in the mountains. In bad weather, you have a simulator – a treadmill. You can go (at least part of the way) to work, shopping and other household chores.
Regular exercise strengthens muscles, bones and joints, reducing the risk of any injuries, including fractures. Walking improves mood, helping to cope with depression and anxiety.
Walking at a good pace, you develop the heart and lungs. Proved: the more people walk, the lower the mortality rate – at any age. It’s also a great way to lose weight. After only 1.6 km, you can burn up to 100 calories.
How to walk
Fast walking is recommended to give at least 30 minutes a day – as often as possible. However, the physical form is improved even by 10 minutes of daily energetic walking. The optimal speed is easy to determine: this is the maximum speed at which you can conduct a normal conversation without getting lost.
A typical error in accelerating a step is an increase in its length. This leads to too strong shock loading on the ankle and knee and is fraught with aching muscles running along the front of the shin. Your task is to take ordinary steps, but at a higher pace. The main effort in walking develops the muscles of the back of the legs, therefore, try to push as hard as possible from the ground, working foot and shin.
Development of success
Addicted to walking, increase the load, extending the distance or choosing a more difficult route. For muscles to strain more, it is not necessary to walk longer or faster than usual. It is enough to go uphill, up the stairs or on soft ground, for example loose sand or snow.
True, walking on an uneven surface increases the risk of injury, especially the stretching (curling) of the ankle. Therefore, it is very important to have a firm, well-seated footwear. Choose tight leather shoes with a high, ankle-covering top. If you go camping with a backpack, his straps should be soft, with adjustable length. An additional belt fastening on the belt is desirable from the bottom.
Ponedic Walking
This increasingly popular style appeared in Scandinavia. You walk, starting from the ground with two high sticks. The technique is the same as when walking on skis or practicing on an elliptical simulator: hands move in antiphase with legs.
Sticks cause us to increase the length of the steps, and at the same time stronger to strain the entire upper half of the body. This provides a more harmonious and intensive load with increased calorie burning. At the same time, sticks create a support that relieves excess tension from the knee and hip joints.
Buy a Pedometer
Does this simple device help you to keep fit? And how! Constantly counting the steps, you follow the level of your activity, the distance traveled, the number of calories burned (some models automatically perform the corresponding calculations). This not only allows you to correct the load in time, but also sets the pace for success.
How many steps do you need to do daily? Doctors recommend 10 000 – about 8 km. The most part you will pass, doing everyday things, but you need to add to them at least 30 minutes of proper wellness walking.
Technique of work on the treadmill
- Stand on the path, lifting your head and chin. Straighten your chest. You can stick to the handrails for stability, but do not squeeze them.
- Run the simulator at a slow speed. When walking, go on the heel and push off with the toe, bringing forward the other leg. With slightly bent hands, work in opposition to the legs.
- Gradually increase the speed of the tape. Breathing should get frequent, but not so much that it hindered to keep the conversation going. If you want to lean on the rail, the load is perhaps too big, and you need to slow down.
- By the end of the session, gradually reduce the speed, moving to a walking pace. Cool down, keeping it for 5 minutes.