| Labor Day is just round the corner, and what is | | | | you are walking at 65% - 75% of maximum |
| more better way to spend this holiday outdoor | | | | heart rate and you are only able to speak in short |
| than taking a walk at the park with the whole | | | | sentences. Effective walking intensity is best |
| family. There have been researches done, where | | | | achieved with a heart rate monitor so as to keep |
| 10,000 steps a day or at least 30min of walking a | | | | the body at optimum fat burning. |
| day for at least 3 times a week to offer | | | | All these while, we have been discussing on the |
| tremendous benefits such as improved | | | | benefits of walking exercise but did not really |
| cardiovascular endurance, improved blood | | | | touch on the techniques of walk. A lot of people |
| cholesterol, lowered blood pressure, increased | | | | might have the question that why walking still |
| metabolic rate etc. | | | | need to be taught, where in actual fact, many |
| While walking is considered as a form of | | | | people actually have been walking the wrong way |
| weight-bearing exercise, research has shown that | | | | all this while. |
| walking program for up to one year have | | | | Even before we start our walking exercise, |
| generally not been very effective in preventing | | | | proper warming up and stretching techniques need |
| bone loss, especially for the healthy individual. The | | | | to be included. This is to allow for the body to |
| main reason is that walking does not actually | | | | condition and prepare for the walking exercise. |
| impart a very high loading force onto the bones; | | | | Subsequently, after completing the walking |
| neither does it represent a unique loading stimulus. | | | | exercise, cooling down exercises is also a must to |
| Nevertheless, this does not exclude the | | | | ensure a complete exercise routine. |
| possibilities that long term habitual walking for | | | | When we talk about walking correctly, we are |
| many years helps to preserve loss of bone mass. | | | | actually referring to anatomically correct posture |
| Although running and jogging are great weight | | | | alignment. Here, we shall be using Taichi principles |
| bearing exercises and effective for burning | | | | into our walking alignment. Firstly, the walking feet |
| calories, however for unfit person to start off | | | | should be in parallel and not pronated outwards or |
| with, they are often considered to be too energy | | | | inwards. This is the area where lot of people |
| demanding. Exercises that are high intensity cause | | | | found this difficult to correct, which is mainly due |
| the body to burn more carbohydrates. It is more | | | | to the lack of range of motion (ROM) in our hip |
| advisable for them to start off with walking at | | | | joint, where we could have increased our flexibility |
| low to moderate intensity slowly progressively | | | | and ROM through stretching during the warming |
| increase to high intensity walking. This is to allow | | | | up session. |
| for adaptation of the body. | | | | The body should also maintain erect, with neutral |
| This is especially true for beginners who are new | | | | spine and shoulders relaxed. The head, shoulders, |
| to exercise or have never engaged in any high | | | | hip, knee and ankle should form a straight line, |
| intensity exercise before. Many obese or | | | | where this is also part of the requirement in Taichi |
| sedentary people tend to have a decreased | | | | practice. By incorporating these principles into the |
| fitness level. This is mainly due to a lack of | | | | Taichi walking exercises, it allows us to align and |
| exercising over time which caused the muscles | | | | correct our poor posture. It will take a while for |
| and energy system to lose efficiency. For this | | | | the body to adapt and habitualise, which depends |
| reason many exercises are simply too intense | | | | on individual. |
| when initiating a weight loss exercise program. | | | | When the body has adapted and habitualised the |
| Moderate walking intensity at the average speed | | | | correct Taichi walking posture alignment, it can |
| of 4km/hr to 5 km/hr is considered aerobic in | | | | then be applied to even our daily walking and |
| nature and helps in burning calories all the way, | | | | maintained to old age. The same fundamental |
| that also helps in maintaining or losing weight. | | | | principles also apply when it comes to running and |
| Another way to look at the intensity of walking is | | | | jogging where we will not talk in details. |
| by using the heart rate. Moderate intensity is | | | | In conclusion, there is no doubt on the numerous |
| where you are walking at 45% - 55% of the | | | | benefits of walking exercises when walking with |
| maximum heart rate and experiencing slight | | | | the correct intensity and frequency. To make the |
| difficulty in breathing than usual but is still able to | | | | whole walking exercise even more effective and |
| keep up a full conversation. High intensity is where | | | | beneficial, we can apply the Taichi way of walking. |