|
November exercise
WALKING
Why it works: Studies have shown that walkers are more likely to stick with their fitness programs than other exercisers. This means that over time, you'll burn more calories than you would if you made only sporadic attempts.
It's easy in terms of technique and adaptable to all fitness levels.
Getting started: The biggest thing to remember is to go at your own fitness level. During the easy segments, you should be breathing slightly harder than normal; during the medium effort you should be breathing more heavily but still be able to carry on a conversation. During your fast segments you should feel your heart thumping.
Technique: The better the form, the more muscles you'll use and the more calories you will burn. Walk tall, with your head centered between your shoulders and your chest lifted. Bend your elbows at 90 degrees and pump your arms, swinging from your shoulders. Pull your abs in, and power your lower-body movement with your hips and core muscles rather than your thighs. Plant your feet firmly, striking first with your heel and then rolling through your entire foot until you push off into the next stride with the ball of your foot.
Remember it is great for your spine and less traumatic than running, but you burn similar amounts of calories.
|