Are you planning to walk more? Or do you already walk regularly? Then it is important that you avoid these walking mistakes! They can make your walk less effective and less fun.
If you start with walk or running, you are often advised to get a new pair of shoes to make sure they fit properly. Depending on the position of your feet and the strength you have in your feet, wearing the wrong shoes while walking can cause injuries.
The solution :There are about three different types of hiking boots :neutral, stable and motion controlled. There are also three factors that are important:cushioning, structural support and cushioning in your shoes. For example, if you have weak feet or hips, you'll want shoes that offer stability and have a wider sole. Some running shoes may be good for walking, but specialty walking shoes are usually better. These often have slightly less cushioning, are lighter and less large than running shoes. You can always stop by the running store to ask for advice! Or order this waterproof and breathable women's hiking boots.
Although light exercise is always better than not weighing at all - especially if you're just starting out - a walk that doesn't raise your heart rate isn't going to affect how fit you are as a faster walk † A good speed to experience health effects is between 100 and 130 steps per minute. As for the duration of your walk, try to have about 150 to 300 minutes of moderate… exercise per week or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. That's about 30 minutes of walking about 5 days a week – that should work, right?
Your posture is extremely important when you go walking † So next time pay attention to how you stand and how your body moves while walking. Do you hang your shoulders? Are you looking at the ground? Are you arching your back? A good walking technique can help you walk longer and faster and ensures that your muscles are more active. It also prevents injuries associated with poor posture.
The solution :Before your walk, take the time to get your body in a straight line. Stand up straight, as if there is a wire running from your head to the ceiling. Look about 10 to 20 steps ahead of you with your eyes. Relax your shoulders and keep them pulled down and back. Tilt your pelvis to a neutral position instead of extended or tucked under you. Let your arms move from your shoulders as you walk instead of from your elbows.
It makes sense that your walk starts by walking uphill, so you can save the downhill part for the way back, when you start to get tired. But that can be tricky for your muscles and joints. When you walk downhill you have to exert more control because gravity pulls you down and your muscles will tense more. So if you're just starting to walk, there's a chance that you'll injure yourself if you don't walk down until the end of your walk.
The solution :Make sure you are familiar with the path you are going to walk. Many outdoor routes have both uphill and downhill sections, so make sure the last section of your walk isn't all downhill.
Walking seems like an easy way to get more exercise, but even if you start walking too hard and too fast, you can become overtired or injured. This can happen, for example, if you walk too far too quickly or if you don't allow your body a moment of rest every now and then.
The solution :When you start your walking routine, keep your distances about the same for two to three weeks. Then extend them by about 10 percent and keep this distance for another two to three weeks. Everyone's level of fitness, age, lifestyle and overall health varies, so listen to your own body! And keep track of your distances and times, for example with a sports watch or Fitbit .
In general, adding more weight during exercise helps burn more calories and build more muscle. That probably also applies to walking , However? Not quite… Wearing ankle weights while walking puts unnecessary stress on the joints in your lower body. They force you to use your thigh muscles instead of your hamstrings, which can lead to muscle imbalances and, ultimately, injuries. Since the weights pull on your ankles, you are more at risk of tendon injuries in your knees, hips and back.
The solution :It's very simple… No ankle weights wear while walking, especially if you have injuries to your hips, knees or ankles. The same goes for wrist weights , because these have the same effect. It is better to use your weights for resistance training instead of during a dynamic training.
Text Santé, Image:Getty Images
