Several recent studies have found that walking for health doesn’t always require 10,000 steps a day. The ideal number of steps can vary, from 4,000 on some days to 8,000 on some days. But what is clear is that increasing your daily movement can have a number of health benefits. Including reducing your risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, and mortality from all causes. Experts share strategies for getting the most out of your walks and avoiding injuries while walking.
How to walk for exercise: How to walk? What is the correct posture?
1. Focus on correct posture and body alignment. Whether you’re sitting, standing, or walking, good posture is always important. But that doesn’t mean you have to stand perfectly straight all the time. Good posture means maintaining the natural curve of your neck and back. Here are some tips on how to maintain proper posture and body alignment while walking.
Stand up straight and imagine a rope pulling you up from the top of your head, suggests Rusty Sarhan, a certified running coach with the RRCA.
Keep your head up and avoid sticking your head forward, which can put stress on your back or neck, says physical therapist Natalia Tronik.
Keep your focus on the path in front of you, looking straight ahead.
Keep your shoulders level and relaxed, allowing your arms to swing freely with the rhythm of your walk.
Engage your abs slightly and maintain a straight pelvic position. Make sure your ribcage is in line with your pelvis, and your hips, knees, ankles, and second toes are also in line, Tronic advises.
This will help you avoid injuries to your lower body.
In addition to making it easier for you to walk and prevent injury, proper posture and alignment can also help you breathe and move more efficiently, says Rusty Sarhan. Because it can be hard to know how you look while walking, Tronic recommends taking pictures of yourself in a mirror — or, even better, video — while you walk, so you can make corrections if needed.
2. Pay attention to your feet .
A proper gait starts with hitting the ground with the heel first, followed by the balls of the feet and finally the tips of the toes — a rolling motion, says Natalia Tronik. This helps better distribute the force of impact to the lower body as you walk. If you hit the ground with your whole foot hard, the force of the impact “repercusses throughout the แทงบอล UFABET ราคาดีที่สุด ไม่มีขั้นต่ำ body,” Tronik says, putting you at greater risk of knee, hip and ankle injuries.
Your walking pace, or the number of steps you take per minute, also matters. Wider, less frequent steps can put more stress on your joints, while shorter, more frequent steps may feel more comfortable. Also, walking at a faster pace — about 100 steps per minute — may be considered moderate exercise for adults, research shows.3 That means walking at that pace or faster counts toward the 150 minutes of exercise per week recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.4
And while you may feel like walking in whatever shoes you’re wearing at the moment, choosing the right type of shoe is also important. Running or walking shoes are ideal, says Rusty Sarhan. Because they’re typically lightweight, have a cushioned heel, and can accommodate a person’s stride.
One thing you might want to avoid, however, is running shoes that are too supportive, says Sarhan. These types of shoes can push your feet outward and cause you to shift your weight onto the outside of your feet, a condition known as supination.
3. Be careful and gradual .
Of course, walking isn’t inherently a risky activity — in fact, it’s “the easiest way to burn calories without putting pressure on your joints,” according to Sarhan. However, both he and Tronic say there are a few things to consider, beyond posture and gait, before hitting the road.
When walking outdoors, you can easily trip over things like curbs, potholes or uneven surfaces, especially at night. It’s important to be aware of your surroundings and. If necessary, take someone with you to help reduce the risk, says Sarhan. (Increased awareness is likely a better option than eliminating outdoor walking altogether. Research has shown that walking outdoors can boost cognitive performance more than walking indoors.)
If you decide to walk on the treadmill indoors, be careful too. While holding onto the treadmill rails may feel safe, it can actually hinder your movement and your workout. So, consider attaching a treadmill safety clip to your clothing – if you lose your balance and fall off the treadmill, the clip will stop the belt from moving, helping to prevent injury.
Tronic also recommends taking it slow if you’re used to a sedentary lifestyle. “Be mindful and set goals that fit your lifestyle,” she says. “If I haven’t walked in a year, I’m not going to walk 10,000 steps right away. I’ll walk a mile and see how it feels.” “Listening to your body is important with any type of exercise,” Tronic says. “Even low-impact exercise like walking.