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Walk to stay healthy
Question: What is a better workout? Slow walks or speeding up?
Answer: Speeding up is good as higher intensity has more benefits. It provides better cardiovascular function and an increase in muscular strength and power. To derive maximum health benefits from walking, it has to be done with some intensity.
If you are overall a healthy person, you can walk for 45 minutes to an hour a day, at a slow to medium pace to burn more fat. The point is to make sure you do not enter the anaerobic zone where you pant and struggle for breath.
To stay in the aerobic zone you should:
* Be slightly out of breath.
* Experience an increase in your heart rate.
* Be able to make conversation while exercising.
If you were to measure your exertion level on an imaginary scale of 1 to 10 then you should be around 7 or 8 on this scale. This level of intensity should be reached over a period of time and not on day one.
The most effective way to increase intensity is to swing your arms while walking. Flex your elbows by the side of the body and swing your flexed arms forward and back along the side of the body as you walk. This rhythmic walking will keep you in the aerobic zone and in the maximum fat-burning range.
Your walking posture should be such that your spine is free of any stress that comes from leaning forward excessively or hyperextension of the back. Also…
* Avoid locking the knees.
* Walk with a 'heel-toe' movement.
* Stretch the lower-body muscles and lower and upper back after a walk.
* Keep your gaze forward. Remember, with a rise in intensity, the chances of injury also go up, so be extra careful. An average of 10 minutes to a kilometer is a good pace to follow and around 9 minutes should be considered fast. Try to cover 5 kilometers a day, 5 days a week.
Question: I run 25 km per week. I'm contemplating walking a marathon as part of a charity fund-raiser. Any advice?
Answer: Get into the habit of long distance walking. It may sound strange but once you start running, walking becomes difficult to cope with. Practice each day and do long distances. Stretch the thigh muscles, shin and calves well after each session. Hydrate well before, during and after the walk. Eat a well balanced diet to stock up on energy. To increase intensity, try and keep both elbows flexed by the side of the waist and move them forward and back along with the rhythm of your legs. This will help in building intensity. A slight rotation of the hips while stepping is a great way to stride fast and strong. Finally, a good pair of walking shoes is a must for you. The shoe has to be lightweight and flexible and must have adequate heel, ankle and arch support. Fit in your foot well before lacing up.
Question: My heels slip out of the shoes while walking. What should I do?
Answer: You probably have a narrow heel and you need to buy shoes that fit you better.
Here are some tricks that will help you get a firm hold in your shoe.
You should buy shoes in the afternoon; feet tend to swell in the evening. Avoid tying the laces around your ankles to prevent slipping. Fit your foot in snugly before lacing up. Bring together the top of the shoe by tightening the laces from the front to the last eyelet to achieve a comfortable fit. Sometimes we tend to just enclose the heel while ignoring the rest of the foot. This may result in pain. If the problem persists, get custom-fit shoes.