You've probably noticed an increased interest in the impact walking has on health. Recently, it seems like everyone has a little pedometer attached to their body to inform them of exactly how many miles they manage to walk around the office every day.
Make no bones about it, the walking you do every day at work certainly is burning calories. However, if it was sufficient to get you into the shape you want to be in, you probably wouldn't be reading this article right now.
Walking with your health in mind requires that you set aside time each day to walk specifically with that goal in mind. You're going to be walking in a different way than you do around the office and you want to be able to maintain a consistent and dependable schedule.
Your goal is going to be increasing your heart rate and maintaining the accelerated rate for at least thirty minutes. Getting your heart rate up is simply a matter of walking faster and letting your arms swing as you walk. Regarding your heart rate, you should do a quick bit of math to determine your maximum heart rate. Reduce the number 220 by your current age; the result is your maximum heart rate.
Walking is a low intensity exercise, so your aim should be to get your heart rate up to around 60 percent of your maximum heart rate. So, for instance, if you're currently 40 years old, then taking 40 away from 220 gives you 180. Sixty percent of 180 is 108 beats per minute, which becomes your approximate target. The easiest measure of your heart rate is to check your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply that number by 6.
Alright already, enough math. Let's get back to walking!
As with most low intensity exercises, walking carries only a minimal risk of strain or injury so it's safe for nearly everyone. Even though it's a low intensity exercise, however; you should still set goals for yourself to increase the challenge of walking. To accomplish this, you can either gradually increase the amount of time you walk while you keep the pace the same, or you can increase the pace while keeping the amount of time you walk the same.
One way to keep your interest level high for walking is to have a variety of different places to walk. While it may sound strange to some, there is nothing wrong with getting in your car and driving somewhere to walk! The fresh scenery will be a welcome change.
Another way to maintain your interest in walking, actually, is to find a partner to walk with. Unlike running and other high intensity exercises, walking still allows you to carry on a conversation. Even if you opt not to chat while walking, having the company can still bolster your willpower.
While I have walked with a partner and enjoyed the experience, I find walking alone to be more rewarding. I realized after about a month of walking that I was actually beginning to practice walking meditation.
I know that, to many of you, walking meditation sounds like an oxymoron. Meditation is often times perceived as an almost hypnotic trance which requires sitting in one place for a long time.
In reality, meditation is heightened state of awareness in which your entire focus is centered on the present moment. So, while walking, I focus my attention on my breathing, on the movement of my body, and on the environment around me. I find my thoughts wander occasionally and I'll start thinking about the past or the future; when I notice this I simply bring my focus and concentration back to the present moment.
Even if you've never had an interest in practicing meditation, I strongly encourage you to try just being present while you walk. Try keeping your focus on the three things I mentioned above. You'll probably find, as I did, that your walking begins to take on a new dimension.
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