You feel exhausted in the middle of the afternoon. Your muscles are tired and achy. At the end of the workday, all you want to do is drag yourself home and plop down on the couch. You barely have enough energy to cope with dinner and the rest of the evening. The next day, the cycle starts over again. Does all of this sound familiar?
Strangely enough, what you need is exercise. Exercise? That’s the last thing you want to do. But exercise is exactly what your tired body is calling out for. Exercise boosts your energy and puts that old bounce back in your step.
Power walking is one of the best all around exercises. Anyone who can walk, can power walk. It requires no special equipment, other than a good pair of shoes There are no expensive gym fees, just pick a spot and start walking. You can do it alone or you can do it with a friend. You can listen to music or sing with the birds. Power walking is versatile, fun and easy.
To begin power walking stand up straight. Don’t lean forward or slump your shoulders. Keep your head level with your eyes straight ahead. Don’t keep looking down at your feet; instead, focus your eyes about 15 feet in front of you. Next, bend your elbows into a 90 degree angle and tuck them close to your sides. Allow your hands to relax into a natural curled position. As you walk, your arms will swing naturally. When you power walk, you need to exaggerate the natural swing of your arms.
Begin walking. Start slowly and allow your feet to roll from heel to toe as you walk. Use smaller steps, not long strides Gradually increase your pace. Keep your shoulders relaxed and your tummy pulled in as you walk, this will help keep your back straight. Try not to swing your hips from side to side, concentrate instead on forward momentum.
That’s it. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Remember to swing those arms and let your body find its natural rhythm. Increase your pace until you are breathing slightly hard, but not gasping for air. When you are a beginner it’s best to alternate regular walking with power walking so as not to over exert yourself.
