Try these creative twists to keep walking interesting. To experience a mental and physical workout, try ChiWalking. Stressing good posture and proper breathing, ChiWalking incorporates the principles of tai chi with walking.
“It is a mindful practice because it requires focusing the mind to direct the movements,” explains Katherine Dryer, co-founder of ChiWalking. For example, if your shoulders are stiff, you would focus your mind on keeping them relaxed and swinging your arms. During ChiWalking, instead of letting your mind wander and thinking about your to-do list or even the scenery, you pay attention to your movements.
As a physical practice, ChiWalking emphasizes walking with good posture – and a slight lean forward – while keeping your core muscles tight, joints loose and arms and legs relaxed. It’s based on five steps: aligning your body, engaging your core muscles, creating balance throughout your body, choosing to walk regularly, and then continually increasing your practice. According to Dryer, ChiWalking is easy on the joints. It also improves balance and allows practitioners to walk further with less effort.
To learn more about ChiWalking, go to www.chiwalking.com.
To burn more calories, try Nordic walking. At first, strolling down the sidewalk using a pair of modified ski poles to help propel you might seem odd, but consider this: Nordic walking burns up to 20 percent more calories. Plus, the poles provide extra support if you have poor balance and reduce strain on knees.
Nordic walking allows walkers to transfer the impact from their legs to the poles, making exercising more comfortable. The poles also encourage proper walking technique and give your upper body a workout as you walk.
“It combines the advantages of fitness walking and cross-country skiing,” says Bernd Zimmermann, founder of the American Nordic Walking Association. “It is a very efficient full-body workout for walkers at all levels.”
two ''flat head'' folding canes for a couple of years now,
since
I have OA in the hips
it
helps to ''un-weight'' the hips and
gives much better support
than the traditional poles
also
it makes me less self-conscoius when out in public
I write this in order that other persons in my condition will recognize that they are not lazy but that the conditions make exercise very, very difficult, if not impossible. Do as I do. I do my best as I am able. And I always cntinue to try.
Thanks for the read.
<a href=http://www.abfemo.biz>The Benefits of Nordic Walking</a>
What have other people been told about impact exercising? i also have osteopenia.
What a great feeling it is to be back outside walking again. I am not overweight but I have always tried to walk or exercise to stay healthy. I sleep better and my Ra was always better when I got exercise. I would like to start an exercise video that is joint friendly, if anyone nows of one. I need to build back my muscle tone!!
Once I was able to resume walks with my dog, pain in my knees almost immediately improved. I was able to cut back on my Celebrex dose, too. I like to take a digital camera with me when we walk, we always come upon interesting flowers, trees and animals or birds to photograph, which helps with the boredom as well.
Also, walk daily with my two dogs (both high energy). And do 20 mins. on a recumbant bike. I have osteoarthritis, bursitis, and tendonitis. All of the above is helping and am finally feeling relief from pain. Also taking anti-inflammatories which I hope to stop soon.
Keep up the good work and you will find benefit.
I have Juvinille Rheumatoid Arthritis by the way.
x
x
Mike Befeler
Author of Retirement Homes Are Murder
Coming in April, 2009: Living With Your Kids Is Murder
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Aliza
Now, as an amputee, I still walk and hike but with my one leg and wearing my prosthesis. I continue as before with regular exercises to strengthen the muscles of my right knee and daily doses of glucosamine sulfate, and I focus now on balance, proper gait, proper posture, and my breath/breathing (as with yoga). This allows me to continue to enjoy and reap the benefits of mindful walking and preserve the health of my arthritic right knee for as long as possible, even as an amputee.
When the weather is cold or rainy, walking in a local Mall is a good idea. Many Malls open early just to accommodate the walkers.
I "warm-up" with a stroll,(3 blocks) stop and stretch my calves and thighs, break out in a faster pace for about 5 minutes, then try to do some "heart health" work. Pick a route that has 2 or 3 shorter but steeper hills. (Hey, long hills are great too.)Don't slow down! This gets the heart rate up, the same as a jog, but easier on the knees. The hills have a built in rest period, because you get to walk back down the hill.
It's like the Nordic Walk theme, "extra effort for extra heart health."
A pal really helps on this type of walk because they can give you a little competition getting up that hill. It's no longer a 45 minute chat session, it's a team effort.
When you plan your "work-out" and your walk route, there's no "ho-hum" involved.
Vic
Thanks for walking tips...
Bobbie
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