I
q
GETTHEGEAR
. You can walk
L O
in any shoes and clothes, but a
small investment in good gear will
help you feel more comfortable and
you’re more likely to keep walking.
^
IN YOUR FIRST W EEK, try to
walk just 15 minutes each day: a
five-minute warm-up, a five-minute
brisk walk, and a five-minute cool
down. Each week, add five minutes
and soon you’ll log a 30-minute brisk
walk each day.
20
!
F IN D O U T T H E
'LO CA TIO N O F BIKE
paths,
or jogging routes in parks. Use them!
21
C A TC H UP ON TH E N EW S
with free radio channels on
your mobile. Or try' a stress-relieving
walking routine by tuning into soft,
instrumental music.
*y *y
LOOK INTO THAT PAIR of
. .
big brown eyes and walk
your dog. One study found that
overweight people who walked
their dogs every day lost an
average of 6.3 kg peryear.
ty
~ AS YOU G ET FIT,
consider
— t ) stepping up your programme.
Hiking uses 370 calories per hour,
32% more than walking. Uneven
terrain also challenges your balance. If
that is not possible in y'our area, then
increase the distance gradually'.
ty
MAKE IT A POW ER
*+
W ALK
When walking, hold a
lightweight dumb-bell (depending
on your comfort level) in each hand
to add strength training to this cardio
routine. Or tie weights to y'our ankles.
Go slow at first and add pace to your
walk after a few day's. No weights?
Hold filled water bottles.
ty
r n o t e YOUR PROGRESS on
« )a kitchen wall calendar. It’s hard
to ignore your good intentions when
they’re staring you in the face every'
time you open the fridge.
Land on the heel of your foot and
push off with the upper ball of y'our
foot and your toes.
n n KEEP GO ALS REASONABLE
_ v 'and achievable. You can always
find a reason not to walk, so tell
yourself ‘I’ll do just 15 minutes’. Once
you’re out there, it’s easy to keep going
for just one more song (approximately
five minutes), or a few more minutes.
FT'«) REMEMBER THE HEALTH
«) — benefits of walking. Study
after study shows that walking
lowers your risk of heart disease,
type 2 diabetes, stroke, high
blood pressure, osteoporosis,
and other diseases.
ty
—
FEEL GOOD ABOUT
_ / SAVING the environment.
For every km you walk instead of
drive,you use about 500 gm less
of carbon dioxide, the leading
cause of global warming.
«-
j q
CONSIDER YOUR FEET.
_ i
OGood walking shoes are
essential. A trained shoe salesperson
can help you find a walking shoe that
will address your foot issues. Are your
arches high or low? Do you tend to
roll your foot to the outside? Make
sure your shoes allow at least
V2
inch
of space at the toes. Consider custom-
made or off-the-shelf insoles for
added support.
«-*Q p l a n A W ALKING
—
«7
VACATIO N .
Ditch the
usual and gear up for a week long
walking tour of the upper ranges of
Uttarakhand or Himachal Pradesh.
Get in touch with an adventure tour
company that offers active vacations.
I WALK WITH A BUDDY OR
*
A GROUP.
There’s nothing
like a friend waiting at the corner to
get you out the door. Ask your walking
buddies to come up with a new route
once a month or so.
F7 I CH ECK YOUR FORM. Walk
« * I with relaxed shoulders and a
slightly lifted chest. Let your arms
swing straight, arching from chest
height to land just behind your hips.
P7 F7 CO VER YO URSELF W E L L
O O a soft-shell jacket or vest offers
better wind protection than fleece and
breathes better than a windcheater.
T
SAY NO TO COTTON.
“Look for running clothes,”
says Justin Olson, a sales specialist
at REI, a recreational equipment
company in the US. Synthetic fabrics
like polyester and spandex draw
moisture away from your body,
keeping you cool and dry. Cotton just
stays wet. Most reputed sports brands
such as Reebok, Adidas, and Nike have
good walking attire.
ft
r LOAD YOUR MP3 PLAYER
O O w ith energetic tunes or dance
music to keep your walk расу. Also, it
keeps the mood uplifted and cheerful,
adding a spring to your step.
