Health and Fitness For Life

Have you hit the point where your mind may say ‘go’ yet your body says ‘no’, when it comes to high impact activities like running? 

Don’t let aging joints limit your competitive spirit.  Many people are finding the joys of walking in community 10K's, half marathons and even marathons.  After giving birth to five children, my own program has evolved to a brisk fitness walk... It keeps my blood pumping with less joint impact, along with the fact that it is a whole lot easier on the pelvic floor muscles. 

Walking is awesome exercise and can be a great way to complete any race event you may be interested in, even a marathon!  It's also great for overall bone and joint health and for managing arthritis. 

To pick up your pace without increasing joint impact you need to move from a healthy, leisure walk towards a faster race walk style.  It is all in the technique.  The following easy and progressive walk tips can get you moving faster, burning more calories, toning extra muscle, and crossing the finish line in record time.

There are three primary walking styles, originally introduced into the fitness education market by Reebok over 10 years ago.  First is health walking, which includes a leisurely paced stroll (16 to 30 minutes per mile), done with your focus on good posture and a relaxed arm swing.  It is perfect for increasing health and preventing the diseases that have been linked to inactivity including arthritis, obesity and osteoporosis.  The U.S. surgeon general has recommended that everyone try to accumulate at least 30 minutes of this moderately paced style of walking, most if not all days of the week.

The other two styles, fitness walking and speed walking, I will discuss in my next two posts.

Health Walking
The following technique tips will help you perform health walking with good form and mechanics.

• Head in neutral position (head centered, chin parallel to ground, eyes looking ahead).
• Shoulders down, pulled back and relaxed
• Chest lifted
• Abdominals contracted and buttocks tucked under hips
• Arms relaxed and swinging in opposition to the legs
• Comfortable stride   

It's even better if you can walk with a partner each day.  As the weather worsens during the winter, try walking in your local mall or on a treadmill.

Illustration:  Walk Reebok Training Manual: 1995.