Know the art of walking
Walking is definitely a low impact exercise which neither needs any sort of equipment, nor does it require an extra amount of energy. One can easily fix the walking time, duration of the walk and the pace of the walk as per convenience. Therefore it is essential to walk.
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But, are you walking properly?
Do not lean forward while walking
Many people tend to push themselves forward while walking. Do not do that. As much as it is important to maintain your posture while sitting it is also important to maintain your posture while walking.
Experts recommend walking straight so that unnecessary pressure is not put on your spinal cord.
Walking while leaning forward puts tremendous pressure on the spines and actually does more harm than good.
Do not look down
While walking, look straight and keep your head up. Keeping the head up will straighten the shoulders and will also keep your spine straight.
If you have a tendency of looking into your phone while walking, you are suggested to switch off your phone to avoid being distracted.
Do not swing your arms too randomly
Many people have a tendency to swing their arms at a fast pace. This is wrong. It might damage the shoulder joints.
While swinging arms is essential during walking, swing them gently. Don't bring your arms above the chest.
Swing your arms from the shoulders, in a gentle manner.
Do not take long strides
Take normal steps. Do not stretch your legs too much to take long strides. Many people think that taking long strides will help them cover longer distances within a short duration.
This affects the joint areas and makes them prone to wear and tear.
Do not walk wearing wrong shoes
Shoes that pinch or those which are extremely loose can put extreme pressure on your legs, especially the ankle region.
Therefore, wear proper shoes while walking. A good shoe will provide the right support to the body while walking and can also absorb the shock of the feet when it hits the ground.
How do you walk?
The art of walking is to maintain a steady posture that doesn't cause any sort of pain in your muscles.
The ideal way to walk is from heel to toe. This means, your feet should strike the ground with heel first and then pushing out with the toe, thus completing one complete step.
Amp your walking technique to burn more calories
While walking is definitely a good exercise, you can make slight modifications to it to increase the chance of burning more calories.
For example, wearable weights like ankle weights are good as these target leg and hip muscles. "The weight places a greater load on the muscle group being targeted. The muscles have to work harder to move this increased load against gravity, and in turn this will increase strength," as per Terry Downey, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Network.
Brisk walk is also another effective way to shed kilos. Instead of a stroll, brisk walk of 10 minutes on a daily basis can burn up to 90 calories. Brisk walking is walking at a speed of 3 miles per hour. Experts recommend 150 minutes of brisk walking per week.
Walking uphill can also help you burn more calories than walking on a plain surface.
Apart from all these one should also follow the 10,000 step rule. In this line, walk jogging is also an effective twist to normal walking.
Depending on the age, stamina and other medical conditions one should set their own walking limit.