When the warmer months arrive, why not move your workouts outside? Whether you’re simply enjoying nature or the company of a friend, walking can be a healthy and invigorating experience. Walking requires no equipment, improves cardiovascular endurance, tones muscles, and burns calories.
Below are tips to help your walk be effective and pain-free:
- Make sure your shoes fit properly (the balls of your feet should rest exactly at the point where the shoe bends during walking)
- Move your arms freely in coordination with the opposite leg
- Don’t stoop your head or look down as you walk
- Don’t carry weights or dumbbells, which are better used as a separate part of your workout regime.
- Walk briskly
- Stay hydrated by drinking at least 10 eightounce glasses of water throughout the day
- If possible, walk on a cushioned or rubberized surface. Grass is a good option just watch out for dips or holes in the ground.