Ready, Set, Walk

Now that you have learned how you can walk your way to health, let’s go over a few tips for an enjoyable walk.

Dress comfortably – loose clothing, sweats, t-shirts, etc.

Shoes - wear light running or walking shoes with a flexible sole and strong heel support.

Surfaces - choose a smooth, even surface and avoid rutted, pebbly ones.

Warm up - perform some light stretching and flexibility exercises to increase the blood flow to the arms and legs to raise your heart rate.

Now you are ready to walk!

Healthwalking is a dynamic aerobic exercise.  As opposed to running, where you are bounding through the air, in healthwalking, your forward foot must touch the ground before your rear foot pushes off.  It’s ordinary walking, but faster.  You begin by taking quick, short strides, planting your heel, rolling on the ball o fyour foot and pushing off with your toes.

To increase your aerobic benefits, you must involve your upper body.  The key to that is the arm swing.  Instead of carrying your your arms by your sides, use them as pendulums that will slow you down.  Work your arms like a sprinter by bending the elbow to 90 degrees and pumping them back and forth towards the midline at chest level.  The opposite arm and leg will work together.  So get in the groove and healthwalk!

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Author Dr. Karen R. Jacobson is a chiropractor in Scottsdale. Her mission is to help people in achieving optimal health and wellness through natural chiropractic care and live a healthy productive life, free of drugs and surgery.

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One Response to “Ready, Set, Walk”

1. Walk Smartly and Carry a Big Smile | Scottsdale Chiropractic Blog says:

   October 8, 2009 at 1:21 pm

   [...] that we have learned what to wear, how to walk and where to walk, we are left with the questions of when, how often, and how [...]