walking

Donning those walking shoes, breathing the fresh morning air, the refreshing breeze on my face and the glory of a breath taking sight marks the beginning of a new day for me. The desire of loosing those extra pounds coerced me into adorning the costumes of a 'walker'. The motive has moved up the scale, maybe a few steps higher. The extra pounds, the health benefits definitely loom large in my mind, the mind itself is tricked into the mood by the soothing effects of nature's bounty and the company of a childhood friend.
Walking is the best way to loose weight and protect your heart. Walking at a moderate pace for 30-60 minutes burns stored fat and speeds up your metabolism. Walking an hour a day cuts the risk of heart diseases, stroke, decreases blood sugar and blood pressure and increases bone density. There are different techniques for walking, the easiest of which is walking the natural way and add some briskness to it. That is the technique my friend and I adopt and it works for us. You can try race walking and power walking. One mistake I did, to keep up with my dad's pace, is to lengthen my stride. Over striding actually slows you down. Instead concentrate on a powerful push off while the front foot lands closer to your body. Walk heel to toe.Rotate your hips and swing your arms forward and backward as you walk. Keep your shoulders and neck relaxed. You need to start walking at a slow pace and build up your speed as you walk regularly. For beginners you can try walking 10minutes out and 10 minutes back. Increase by 2-3minutes at your convenience and before you know you will be walking for 30minutes. Now, there is something called interval training. Walk at your normal pace for 3minutes, increase your speed for 1minute, back to your normal speed for 3minutes. Keep up this 1:3 ratio for your entire workout. Over time increase your activity and decrease your rest. Plan your walks, stick to it. Motivation is the key to stick to your plan. Research has proven that walking is useful to alleviate depression, and keeps you energized whole day. Of course there are those lazy days when you would like to rest your cares and concerns, stretch your weary legs and snore to the limits. Walking cuts down the risks associated with breast cancer, colon cancer. Walking improves fitness and improves physical function. Lets end the day with the lines by Robert Frost,
                                       "But I have promises to keep,
                                        And miles to go before I sleep,
                                        And miles to go before I sleep."