It’s always been said that walking is good for your health, so if you’re already going for a walk every day, you’re on the right track.
But when was the last time you actually thought about your technique?
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It’s common to see people hunched over their cell phones or shuffling around in unsupportive shoes on the streets.
However, if you want to improve your fitness, it’s not the quantity of your steps that matters, but the quality and speed of your steps.
A University of Leicester study showed that people who walked briskly at 100 steps per minute lived longer than those who leisurely walked at 50 steps per minute, regardless of their weight.
Sports scientist and fitness guru Joanna Hall has created WalkActive, an exercise plan that is scientifically proven to increase walking speed by up to 24%.
She told The Sun on Sunday Health:
“The key is to increase your pace by increasing your stride length and improving your posture, stability and core strength.
“Once you have mastered the components, you can improve not only your body shape but also the position of your knees and hips, reducing the impact on your joints, toning your arms, toning your lower abdominal muscles, and toning your torso.
“Then your butt starts to lift and tighten.
Long life
“Improving poor posture, especially hunched or rounded backs, can reduce tension and improve mobility, which can also help when standing or sitting.”
Hilary Mines, founder of charity walking app Trundl, agrees.
she says: She says: “Adding a walk to your day can extend your lifespan.
“People who exercise the way our bodies naturally evolved to move live longer, healthier lives.
“It’s literally just what the doctor ordered.”
Here’s how to get the most out of walking. . .
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Every number has its benefits.
10K myth
You’ve probably heard about the “10,000 steps per day” goal advocated by fitness enthusiasts around the world, and it comes from pedometer marketing campaigns.
Regardless of the number of steps, additional steps are beneficial to your health and extend your lifespan.
A Polish study found that walking just 4,000 steps a day was enough to reduce the risk of early death, and another study by the University of Cambridge found that walking briskly for 11 minutes every day reduced the chance of early death. It showed a decrease of 23%.
Joanna says: “It’s not the quantity that matters. If she walks properly, she can walk 5,000 steps in less than 50 minutes, which is faster than some people can run.
“As a result, your waist will be toned, and your arms and legs will also be toned.”
“I was doing it wrong and was leading by my nose.”
I thought my baby would have mastered walking by about 18 months old, but I wasn’t doing it right.
I spent so much time looking at my phone and guided with my nose instead of using my hip flexors that I developed problems with my spine and found it difficult to take deep breaths.
As a result of following Joanna’s program, I am now walking faster than I normally run. I started sweating within minutes.
Now I try to walk this path every day, but I have to remind myself to think about technique and not just rush from A to B.
It definitely helped tone my arms and became a daily workout that I could do anywhere.
For more information, visit walk-active.com.
Tips to improve your technique
- With your feet hip-width apart on a flat surface, take a large step back until you feel a stretch in the back of your calves.
- Turn your hind legs. Your ankles should be apart and your front thighs and hips should be extended.
- Slowly lower your heels toward the ground, but keep your heel pads slightly off the floor.
- Slowly peel away your back foot until you reach the pivot point between the sole of your foot and your toes. Hold on – this is the position you are trying to achieve with each step.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles by pulling your stomach upward and inward, but don’t tense them completely. The buttocks should be completely relaxed and the torso should be long.
- Imagine a glass of water balanced on your left and right hips, being lifted and balanced with each step.
- Relax your shoulders, look up and forward, avoid tensing your neck, and lengthen the space between your earlobes and shoulders.
- Increase mobility in your upper back by keeping your elbows slightly bent and moving your arms smoothly back and forth.
- Avoid clenching your fists or using mechanical “power walking” arm movements. Use your elbows to lead the backswing.
- Instead of aiming at a specific point, imagine yourself moving away from something, focusing on your back foot.
