A regular walking practice has incredible benefits for your mind, mood, and body.
That’s where pain-relief products likeAspercremecan help.
Here are the top three:
First, be sure that your abs are engaged when you walk.
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For most people, simply imagining this will cause your abs to engage.
Second, take a moment to focus on your posture.
Imagine a string from the top of your head pulling you tall.
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Drop your shoulders away from your ears, and be sure your chin is parallel to the ground.
Wherever you start, work to add a bit of distance and intensity each week.
Easier options for beginners
Walking is the ultimate scalable form of exercise.
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Start slow and with a distance that feels doable.
Don’t give up.
Add Intervals
How to do it correctly6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
Intervals are all about big swings in intensity.
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When you are in the recovery phase, really dial it back to an easy stroll to recover.
Fitness is all about introducing a challenging stimulus and intervals do just that.
The great thing about intervals is they are scalable to meet you where you are.
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If you are a beginner, walking for 1 minute at a brisk pace might be difficult.
Walk at that brisk pace until you are uncomfortable, then walk as slow as needed to recover.
The concept is to go hard and then go easy and recover fully.
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Avoid going a little above medium, and a little below medium.
Ruck
Ideally, use a rucksack or plate carrier designed specifically for rucking.
Begin rucking just once or twice per week, adding weight and increasing the distance as you get stronger.
Rucking is incredibly scalable: begin with just 5 to 10 lbs of additional weight and short distances.
Find one, join one, or create one of your own.
As often as possible provided that your walking group provides the right stimulus.
I once tried to create a walking group of 8 people in the summer.
It was a complete fail.
Start with just 3 or 4.
And, depending on where you live, often summer is a challenging time to get people to commit.
Think fall or spring to launch your group.
Consider an easy stroll or gentle walk on your recovery days.
It is an essential part of your fitness and wellness.
There are two mistakes people often make.
That is a recipe for both burn out and overuse injuries.
Remember: nutrition and physical activity go hand-in-hand especially if you have weight loss goals.
MondayRest day: after your longest walk, it’s the perfect time to rest and recover.
TuesdayIntervals: mixing up the pace and getting your heart rate up delivers great benefits.
As you progress, increase the length of the work interval and decrease the length of the resting pace.
WednesdayRuck: Add some weight, up the challenge, build strength and boost bone health.
This session should be mid-range in time meaning not your shortest and not your longest.
ThursdayRest: after two strenuous sessions, take a rest day.
This can include active rest and recovery, a short walk or stroll, some light gardening, etc.
It doesn’t mean sit on the couch all day.
FridayIntervals: Go back to intervals and mix it up.
SaturdayRuck: For the second rucking session of the week, let’s just get it in.
Especially knowing we have a long session tomorrow.
Do it as regularly as you could.
The most important thing?
Just start and keep going.
