Walk Your Way to Health With These Tips
As I write this, I’m hobbled by a broken foot that’s encased in a knee-high walking boot. Why this boot is called a walking cast, I have no idea. It’s cumbersome, throws off my balance and it hurts. I have to wear it for eight weeks and, needless to say, I am unable to exercise the way I would like. Walking is out of the question. Standing in place exercises, such as squats, are too. I manage some upper body exercises but, don’t tell my podiatrist, I have to take off the boot or else I stumble and fall all over the place. It’s frustrating, especially now that the weather is finally becoming warmer, the snow and ice are gone and my walking trails are beckoning. I look forward to being able to walk without the boot and to pounding the pavement with my footsteps, once again. And I’m going to take care of my feet by investing in a good pair of walking shoes the second I ditch this cast.
Walking is a great way to get moving in that it doesn’t require special equipment, can be done outside and in and is a productive and fun way to share time with friends, commune with nature or get in touch with your innermost thoughts.
Global health and wellness expert Dr. Andrew Weil offers the following tips to walk your way to health. As always, before you begin any exercise program, check with your own doctor to see if you’re healthy enough to participate.
- Laugh! Walk with a Friend. If you are sad or lonely and lack social connection, spend time with people who make you laugh and join them for a walk outside. Simple laughter may also boost immunity, relieve pain, lower stress, and even help protect against heart disease, while a refreshing walk will leave you feeling rejuvenated.
- Meditative walk, repeat a mantram. Mantram repetition is portable, convenient and easy to implement anywhere at any time, especially while walking, and makes the time pass quickly if you find it hard to stay motivated. Select an appropriate word or phrase that can be used as a tool to interrupt negative thinking and depressive rumination. Find a quiet place to walk as silence refreshes the spirit, reduces anxiety, and makes it easier to be mindful.
- Meditative walk, focus on breath. If the mantram repetition method doesn’t stick, focus on your breath while on a meditative walk and when you are stuck on troubling thoughts. Practice the 4-7-8 breathing technique to control anxiety. (Inhale for 4, hold for 7, and exhale for 8)
- As an understudy to running, walking may not burn as many calories over the same distance, but it offers the great advantage of availability to all ages and lifestyles, as it requires no skill or practice. Just about everyone knows how to do it, and the only equipment you need is a good pair of shoes. You can walk outdoors or indoors. It is the safest exercise option of all, with the least chance of injury.
Walking is an ideal way to get daily exercise – it strengthens almost every major organ in the body, promotes optimal bone density, and boosts the immune system. But have you considered how to best put one foot in front of the other? Your walking habits can have an impact on how much benefit you get from each outing. Keep the following in mind when you walk your way to health:
- Walk with your head erect. Look ahead and train your sight 10 to 20 feet ahead of you. If you need to check the ground to avoid obstacles, lower your eyes, not your head, and try not to thrust your trunk forward or let your arms dangle listlessly at your sides.
- Keep your back straight. Stretch your spine so your shoulders are level and square, and tuck your buttocks in.
- Bend your arms. Flex your elbows at close to 90-degree angles and let your arms swing at waist level.
- Take shorter, measured steps, with your feet striking the ground with the heel and pushing off with the toes. Too long a stride can throw you off balance.
- Focus on your breathing. Breathing strongly influences mind, body and moods. By simply focusing your attention on your breathing, and without doing anything to change it, you move in the direction of relaxation.
- Avoid using ankle weights, which can stress joints and lead to injury.
- Invest in a good pair of walking shoes. Look for lightweight shoes with flexible soles that are breathable and offer good arch support. Flexibility indicates the proper balance and alignment for healthy feet and reduces the risk of injury.
This post has me fired up and ready to get my walk on. I’ve already been researching walking shoes that will support my newly-healed foot and get me moving stylishly in the right direction, because, come on, the shoes must be supportive but that doesn’t preclude them being cute too. I’ve got my eye on Vionic’s new Spring collection that features biomechanical orthotic technology. They call it Orthaheel Technology, fancy words that mean the shoe restores the foot’s natural (neutral) alignment, enabling the feet, ankles and legs to function efficiently and dynamically. Since breaking my foot, I’ve learned to not take these appendages for granted. I am going to pamper them, care for them and dress them in the most technologically-engineered-for-health footwear available on the market.
Wish me luck. I go to the podiatrist next week to check on the progress of my healing. In the meantime, let me live vicariously through you as you walk your way to health. Get started; I’ll catch up soon.
What’s your favorite place to walk? Leave me a comment below about that, or what walking has done for your physical and mental health. I’d love to hear from you.
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Love Love my Orthaheel sandals!! I live in them in the warmer months since I fell down the stairs several years ago and killed my ankle {and most likely strained or torn my Achilles- another no way I visit doctor injury – ha} they really balance & align the body, and help heal the foot! They are starting to design stylish shoes now also – so I am planning investing in a pair of black flats!
Oh my gosh! Sorry about your fall! I’m totally sold on the Vionics. Can’t wait to slip my feet into something comfortable and good for my body’s alignment as soon as I take this boot off. Thanks for letting me – and my readers – know of your experience. Who doesn’t need a really good pair of shoes that are comfortable and work for you? xo
Really great write. Best article on walking EVER!
Thanks for the superlatives – but we’re related. They don’t count! (Just kidding. They count and I appreciate them.) xo