Walking is the best medicine a man can have. It costs nothing, it needs no equipment and it can be done within convenience and without stretching comfort.
However, despite so many easy-to-do aspects associated with it, many people can't continue walking for a long time. One of the major reasons for this is that they start on a wrong note. In order to get the benefits of walking, which can help burn 150 calories per hour, one needs to know how to start walking.
Women's fitness specialist, Gina Harney, whose fitness account on Instagram is @fitnessista has shared a post in which she talks about "tips on starting a walking routine".
In the social media post, the expert talks about how to walk and build up intensity.
She suggests multitasking while walking. "Take calls, listen to a podcast, or watch your favorite shows while on a walk," she suggests.
She also recommends adding short walk breaks during the workday and suggests building time and intensity slowly. "Start with 10 minutes and after you can do this consistently for a few weeks, try 15 minutes and so on," she adds.
Gina says one should use their glutes while walking. "Focus on using your glutes, almost like you’re ice skating. Push off from each step, using your glute strength. Consider your pelvis position while you’re walking. If your pelvis were a bucket, you’d want to keep the bucket from spilling water constantly to the front or back; try to keep it relatively stable," she writes.
The fitness expert also talks about an important aspect of walking which is safety. "If you live in an area where it is unsafe to walk outdoors alone, find a safe spot, like at a gym, a friend’s neighborhood or park walking trail, or a treadmill. If you’re going to a new location, make sure that someone you know is aware of where you’ll be and about what time you’ll be finished. Keep your cell phone and ID with you," she warns her followers.
At the end she recommends wearing supportive and comfortable shoes.
On the 10k-steps-rule, Gina says, "it’s absolutely OKAY not to hit 10k steps every day right away. Like I said earlier, just try to increase intensity slowly. As long as you’re building the habit of walking, you’re off to a good start." Experts are divided over the claim that only when you walk 10k steps per day the body gets benefits. Health experts who do not agree to this say for some people 5k-6k steps also work wonders and for some 8k steps daily give the exact benefits.
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