If you walk for regular exercise, a recent study found you will do well to walk a little faster and/or a little longer.
Make your goal to walk faster than three miles per hour, and average seven blocks per day. The result? You will enjoy about 50 percent lower risk of heart disease!
Here are 4 Tips for Faster Walking from PBS America’s Walking:
1. Stand tall. No slouch in the shoulders, forward lean from the waist, or excess sway in your back. CUE: Keep your eyes on the horizon.
2. Focus on quicker, not longer steps. Yes, your stride does get longer as you walk faster, but that’s shouldn’t be your goal; let it happen naturally. Instead really concentrate on taking faster steps. CUE: Count how many steps you take in a minute; shoot for over 135.
3. Bend your arms. Bend your elbows at a right angle so your arms can swing more quickly; target a quick, compact arm swing. CUE: Hands should trace an arc from rubbing waistband at your hip on the back swing, to chest height (no higher) in the front.
4. Push off of your toes. Consciously push off the toes and generate as much boost at the end of each step. CUE: Feel like you’re showing someone behind you the bottom of your shoe on every step.
This week, focus on the small things you can do for better cardiac health. To walk longer, sing a few of your favorite songs as you walk. You will get improved mood with the music plus the added heart health from the additional couple of blocks.
Tips from 5 April 2010 to 6 August 2012 are here: Archived Tips
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Rev. Debra Basham
Voice or text: (269) 921-2217 Email: debra@scs-matters.com https://scs-matters.com http://ImagineHealing.info http://SurgicalSupport.info Small Changes … Infinite Results™
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ~ Mother Teresa |