FITNESS MATTERS
Pick up those feet
JATINDER SINGH
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Power walking not only helps maintain your health but also puts you in touch with your inner self.
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Physical fitness is a way of life in the Armed Forces. After retirement, I settled in Chandigarh in a sector with three beautiful gardens and excellent walking tracks. In order to avoid monotony while walking, I started using a portable MP3 player.
The old army habit of walking to the beat of drums crept in and, surprisingly, I realised that some of the best numbers of Madonna, Bryan Adams, and Electronic trance music had drum beats that helped quicken the pace.
The Wikipedia defines ‘Power Walking’ at a speed at the upper end of the natural range for the walking gait, typically 7 km/h to 9km/h (4.5 to 5.5 mph). In this range walking and jogging are almost equally efficient but the walking gait gives significantly less impact to the joints.
Recently, power walking has been recommended as an alternative to jogging for a low to moderate exercise regime (say 60-80 per cent of maximum heart rate).
To qualify as power walking as opposed to jogging, at least one foot must be in contact with the ground at all times. Power walking is also known as ‘speed walking’. Power walking blasts away fat as fast as jogging; may be faster. Even better, power walking is much easier on your joints, since your feet are nearly in a glide motion and they touch the ground with less than half the force during a jog. As a result, you’re less likely to have your fitness goals sidelined by soreness or injury.
Getting started
The human foot is built like a suspension bridge; with its 26 bones; 56 ligaments and 38 muscles; it is an engineer’s delight. The shape of the foot varies with each individual so make sure you get the shoes that fit your feet and are comfortable. The wear and tear on the shoes has also come down considerably. Walk with a natural gait with a heel-to-toe rocking motion and a balanced rhythmic stride.
Build the pace up gradually. Hold your head high and look about 10 feet ahead. Swing your fists and don’t let arms hang as the fingers may swell. Bend your elbows 90°, close your hands in relaxed fists and swing them in a arc from your waist to your chest, keeping them close to your body. This will help you walk faster, burn more calories and build upper body strength.
It is essential to have some fruit and water before the walk. This should see you through 7-8 km of the walk. Carry a small bottle (containing sweetened lime water) in the pocket and have swigs during the last three km. This provides the necessary push and avoids dehydration.
Power walking is like meditation. Enjoy the music and keep pace with the beat. Always sidestep on the adjoining surface to keep your pace when you realise that the person in front is not likely to give way. Thus you get into the habit of avoiding road rage while walking. We ‘power walk’ to discover ‘our better self’, the self that puts us back in touch with our deepest reality.
The writer is a retired Major-General based in Chandigarh.
