| Product: |
Walking |
| Date: |
05.05.04 (153 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Very healthy
Disadvantages: Initial cost worth the healthy factor!
Are you looking for a free way to get fit without having to go to the gym and do all those really strenuous exercises and pay all those exorbitant fees? The answer is at the end of your legs! Get those feet walking! As Nancy Sinatra once sung ?those boots were made for walking?.
I absolutely hate the gym, loathe it, detest it, hate it!
I?d rather be doing something that I enjoy and at my own pace to try and burn those extra calories and keep myself fit; walking has always been a great hobby of mine.
BENEFITS GAINED BY WALKING
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Compared to activities like joining the gym or running, walking was always classed as a poor third but today, after many studies have been made on this subject, walking is known to be as good, if not better, than strenuous aerobic exercise for strengthening your heart and lungs and also toning up and shaping your figure.
It is one of the most versatile ways to get fit; if you are able-bodied then you can do it too. It costs really next to nothing and you can do it anywhere and at any time.
Research has proven that doing just 3 hours brisk walking each week is just as effective as exercising for 1.5 hours of running, cycling or other strenuous activities in reducing your risk of a heart attack. Apparently, if you walk 5 hours a week then you could reduce risking heart disease by a half! Brisk walking can also help you to combat those risk factors associated with heart disease ? such as raised blood pressure, excess weight, diabetes.
The British Heart Foundation is very keen for all of us to get our feet walking more and it is co-sponsoring (along with the Countryside Agency) the 5 year long Walking The Way To Health Initiative.
Did you
also know that walking is one of the best fat-burning forms of exercise you can do? If you walk briskly for half an hour then you could burn between 150-200 calories! (If you wanted to be sneaky then you could reward yourself with a couple of nice chocolate digestives ? or that could be beating the objective but you could eat them without feeling too guilty!). However, if you walk briskly uphill then you could burn off as many calories again.
Walking can change the shape of your body ? did you know that? Yes, it can. It helps to tone the muscles in your legs by working the hip muscles, calves and thighs. There are muscles in your bum (OK, I shall be polite and now say bottom) called glutes (gluteus maximus) ? these are the big muscles in your bum ? my goodness, my glutes must be very big! Boo, hoo! But, when you walk, these muscles tighten up as well as your abdominal muscles which, in turn, help to flatten your stomach. Mind you, I think I need to walk a hell of a lot to flatten my stomach at the moment! So, all this walking malarkey encourages production of endorphins (these are the body?s ?feel good? hormones).
HOW TO DRESS FOR A GOOD LONG WALK
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When embarking on a fairly long walk, you should always ensure that you are dressed comfortably. That means dress in loose, light, comfortable layers of cotton or a synthetic material that takes away your perspiration from your skin. As you start to warm up then you can always strip off a layer or two.
Choose a very comfortable pair of walking trainers or shoes/boots that have a supportive heel and a ridged sole (this is preferable as you probably won?t slip if it rains or becomes muddy). Your footwear should be fairly light so that your feet are not dragging aro
und too much weight and the soles of the shoes should be wide enough to reduce the risk of your feet rolling inwards (or outwards) as you walk. As we all have experienced at some time or other, if your foot ?goes over? when you are walking it can be quite painful so you really need to try and avoid this happening. The inner sole of the shoe/trainer should be able to support the inner side of your foot and should also be well-cushioned, especially on the balls of the feet and the heel areas. (I know it?s usually the balls of my feet that hurt first). Your footwear should also be flexible so that each foot gets a full range of motion as you take each step.
Now, what do we put on our feet before putting them into our fully flexed shoe/trainer? A bloody good pair of socks! A pair that can absorb the sweat (let?s face it if you walk fast enough then you are going to produce some sweat, aren?t you?).
HOW MUCH IS IT LIKELY TO COST ME
This is what you could expect to pay for some sensible walking clothes:
>> Shoes/Boots ? at least £50
>> Walking socks - £10
>> Rucksack (one that won?t slip off your back) ? anywhere between £10 - £200!
>> Waterproof coat with hood in breathable fabric ? from £10 - £300
>> Waterproof trousers - £15 - £100
>> Fleece or jumper as a top layer and jogging bottoms or tracksuit bottoms - £10 - £50
>> Hat and gloves (probably for winter only) £10 upwards
>>First aid kit £5+
>>Sunglass and cream £10+
>>Snacks such as nuts, raisins or chocolate
>> Camera
Here?s a site that you might like to check out before buying any walking equipment:
>> http://www.sportsshoes.com/department.php?departme nt=Outdoor
SOME ADVICE
9;N WALKING TECHNIQUES
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If you are not used to walking then don?t expect to walk 10 miles straightaway. Build up to it. Do a little bit of walking each day but don?t give up cos it?s really good for you, no matter how little the amount of walking you do.
Posture is important ? pull in your abdominal muscles and try and keep your body upright. Your back should be straight but your neck and shoulders should be more relaxed with your head erect and focus your eyes on the road ahead. If you start looking downwards then there is a tendency to hunch your shoulders and your breathing can become constricted (not to mention ending up with a hunch on your back!).
Your elbows should be at a 90 degree angle with your hands slightly cupped and then swing those arms ? similar to a pendulum on a clock.
Breathe deeply from your stomach and this, in turn, increases the amount of oxygen that you will get into your lungs.
Hips should be square and facing forwards to enable your legs to work hard and avoid twisting.
Plant your heels on the ground as you step forwards and allow your body weight to roll through, then push through with glutes that I mentioned previously. You will feel these muscles (I know I do) and the hamstrings at the back of your thighs working if you?re doing it properly.
Try to aim for quick, short steps rather than lengthy strides and this could add power to your walk.
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE INFORMATIO N ON WALKING CLUBS
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If you don?t want to walk alone and can?t get any
of your family interested in walking then you should contact a walking club.
For more information on walking:
www.ramblers.org.uk
Ramblers Association ? tel 020 7446 8500
The Ramblers? Association
2nd floor, Camelford House
87-90 Albert Embankment
London SE1 7TW
A very detailed website which includes the ?Walker?s Guide to Freedom to Roam Legislation in England and Wales?. It explains about The Countryside and Rights of Way (CROW) Act which is being created to get a new legal right of access by foot to open areas but this act also includes safeguards to protect the environment and the interests of landowners so it will not allow people to walk across any private gardens or over farmers? crops (which is understandable, in my humble opinion). Of worthy note for all of us dog owners; our pets will normally be permitted on access land but they must be kept on a short, fixed lead between 1 March and 31 July and whenever they are near any livestock; you don?t want your do to bite a farm animal and end up being sued!. In certain areas, dogs may be banned totally so you should always check with the local authorities in advance.
The site does stress that the freedom to roam is quite different from the freedom to walk on public paths. The Act will provide the public with the opportunity to walk, in a responsible manner, outside of the paths without actually trespassing; to visit and see special features and views.
The Ordnance Survey produces maps which will show access land, the countryside authorities will also produce information on various access opportunities and also restrictions. You should find this in guides, leaflets, booklets and on the internet. Visitor centres should also provide information together with the tou
rist information offices, local media etc.
It is worthy of note that the CRoW Act is at present on the statute-book and it is not envisaged that we will be able to enjoy the new rights for at least 3-4 years! Well, at least something is being done!
www.walkingbritain.co.uk:
"Walking Britain" is dedicated to providing information on the footpaths that cross the landscape and covers the National Parks, including the Lake District, the Peak District and Snowdonia, the Yorkshire Dales, the Brecon Beacons and Pennines.
www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~curlewgw/
This is a site for walking holidays in the North East of England including the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.
www.walking.ireland.ie/
Site for holidays in Ireland.
http://www.btinternet.com/~yorkshire.walks/
This is quite an interesting site which belongs to a retired man called Frank. He gives his verdict on various walks and has posted lots of beautiful pictures he saw long the trail. Check it out.
You could also ask your Travel Agent (or Rambers Association) about walking holidays. You never know, you could be walking by day and not seeing a sole then sleeping under stars at night!
I love to walk. I take my dogs Molly and Ruben for long walks and each time we go on one of our routes I can always see something new ? a certain house that I hadn?t noticed before, flowers, trees. I walk in my lunch hour (well, really it is half an hour) and then eat my lunch at my desk. Getting out of the office for that half hour to go walking invigorates me and gives me so much more energy to work on in the afternoon. I am also receiving Vitamin D from the daylight which makes me feel good. Even on winter days I
try to go and walk during my break ? start off being sluggish but end up feeling refreshed and full of energy. When we go on holiday my husband and I walk for miles, investigating all the nooks and crannies of the area in which we are staying. You see so much more of life by walking than by driving a car, you see the children playing, dogs playing and you see nature at its best.
So go on, I dare you, start walking and help yourself to get fit. It needn?t cost you much, in fact, it needn?t cost you anything. You don?t have to go on long walks, just try little ones. Do 10 minutes each day. It is better than sitting in a chair for that 10 minutes. Do it, now.
Try it.
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