Power Walking: Is It A Step Too Far?

Power walking is the new jogging. It is seen as a safer alternative to running with similar health benefits but at a lower intensity. In thirty minutes you can burn up to 250 calories AND get a great cardio-vascular workout.

It sounds too good to be true! In fact, I think it is.

Its supporters claim it is less likely to lead to injury than running but I would argue that the advice given to power walkers can lead to long-term problems.

Visit any park and it won't be long before you see people pacing it out to keep fit. No one would argue that thirty minutes exercise a day is good for you, but what about the type of activity? If you are going to spend half an hour doing vigorous exercise do ensure you are not going to do yourself any damage. After all, what's the point in trying to keep fit if you injure yourself and end up not being able to do any activity?

When Does Walking Become Power Walking?

Walking is a natural activity that the majority of us can manage from an early age until the end of our days. But walking has been transformed into a proper exercise by creating a technique that increases the amount of effort required. Let's look at some of the advice.

1. Keep your head up, back straight and body aligned.
How would you follow this advice? I see people tightening their backs and fixing their posture. How do you know if your back is straight? If you knew how to align your body it would already be aligned!

2. Stride out, but don't lengthen your stride so much that your knees lock, which can lead to injury.
Any attempt to stride out will land your foot in front of your body increasing the stress on your knees. Whether running or walking your feet should land under your body.

3. Walk with hand or leg weights.
What does walking with weights added to your arms or legs do to your body dynamics? How does it changes your normal walking or other activities? You will build muscles to be used in a way that is not your natural movement. You can even buy weighted vests!

4. Pump your arms.
This action is generally done with the shoulders raised adding tension to the neck.

Do you need to do any of these actions to walk? Are they going to aid free, natural movement? On the contrary, they are most likely to interfere with breathing, movement of the joints and the action of your reflexes that coordinate the activity for you.

My philosophy at Fitness Programs for Life is based on getting you into The Zone a place where peak performances seem effortless. Could you get into The Zone and experience the effortless nature of walking by doing the power bit? I admire the commitment of the many people I see power walking whilst I�m out running but I firmly believe they would be far better either running or just going for a �natural� enjoyable walk whilst still keeping fit anyway. See my beginners guide to running for a safe way to start.

I see people who use power walking with tight backs and stiff joints developed by the habit of applying too much effort in all their activities. Excessive muscle tension can lead to a reduced awareness of your own body resulting in biomechanical difficulties. Try my Body awareness test and have a look at my instant biomechanical assessment to test whether you may be using your body inappropriately.

If you walk tall (without trying to tighten your back) and let your and swing from your shoulder joints and your legs from your hips it makes for an enjoyable activity - see walking for fitness the natural way

Your posture and your health
How you hold yourself will change how your muscles develop. But how can you be sure that your posture is good? What is the best method for good posture?

Running - a 'safe' alternative to power walking!
Is running more 'natural' than power walking? Is it safer?

Take a look at my unique fitness programs
My programs are designed to develop your self-awareness and focus so you can learn more about your body and how to get the best out of it. The skills you learn will add an extra dimension to your workouts helping you to train smarter for better results.

Want to ask a question?
My view of what fitness means and how it can be attained is different to the conventional approach. If there is anything on this page that you would like to follow up please feel free to contact me