Should we walk?

If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I felt like walking was exercise I would have laughed. Walking was something to do at get front point A to point B and nothing more. Then I tore my hamstring…

I begrudgingly started adding shorts walks once I felt like it was safe. I initially didn’t count it as “exercise” but just some movement to get me closer to doing the real stuff. Fast forward 10 years and I now not only firmly believe that walking is exercise, but that it might be one of the most important things you can do. I try to complete 2-3 miles every almost everyday now.

Walking is quite possibly the best form of exercise you can regularly participate in. It’s generally low impact, you can control the speed and there are plenty of ways to make it more or less challenging if you want. Our bodies are meant to move in our natural gait cycle on a regular basis but a lot of people choose to sit more then walk and that creates shorter/tighter hamstrings, pelvic tilt which creates excessive pressure on the lower spine, lack of proprioception in the feet and excessive shoulder tension from the forward lean that is assumed. Basically a hot mess!

They have likened sitting to being as bad or worse then smoking and I don’t think they are far off.

The body was not meant to sit for long periods of time and it results in a host of problems in how the body moves and feels.

If walking is not part of your regular routine here are a few ideas to incorporate walks on a regular basis.

1. Treadmill: The treadmill offers an alternative to being outside which is nice during the extra hot days of summer. It’s soft platform takes away the pressure from walking on concrete outside. It also allows you to increase the speed and incline in a consistent and measured way. This can offer important feedback in time and intensity. Lastly because you can control both speed and incline you can increase or decrease the level of intensity in different ways which can be hard if you are outside.

2. Outside walks: I find an immense amount of pleasure in getting outside and experiencing nature during my walks. It allows me to listen to a book, think about business stuff or just find some peace of mind in movement. You are also able to set some fun visual goals. I will often speed walk from one light post to the next and then walk lighter for the next interval. Play around with the number of houses if you are walking in your neighborhood. Walking outside gives you lots of visual stimuli which can help pass the time.

3. If you feel unsafe or not ready to jump on a treadmill or get outside, start with walking in your home for a certain amount of steps per hour. An example would be 100-200 steps at the top of every hour you are home. This will increase your confidence to move around until you feel ready to venture out.

4. If walking is already a part of your routine trying adding a weighted vest or Ruck sack for some extra intensity. I have both and would be happy to let you try either on to see how they feel. You can also set a Tabata App for some fun intervals outside. If you need some ideas let me know!

Folks these days want to make exercise super complicated when if you just added walking on a regular basis your body would feel better and so would your brain.

Find some time this week to add some steps in!

Onward and upward my friends….