Well winter and the holidays are full force upon us. The weather is uninviting and we ate and drank way too much. Most certainly, the last thing on our mind is to get all bundled up and head out for our daily exercise walk. “I’ll do it tomorrow” the common refrain. The ultimate result of this calorie induced lethargy…REGRET. To avoid these post-holiday blues it’s important that we try and maintain some semblance of our normal exercise routines. But what can we do to generate the all the benefits of walking without having to face the prospect of frost bite and snow blindness? One option…get yourself to the nearest set of stairs.

Walking up and down a set of stairs is a very plausible and efficient alternative to your daily outdoor exercise routine. Like walking, you burn calories and tone your muscles, however, you’ll find it a bit more intense than your typical 3 mile, hour long exercise walk. In fact it’s twice as intense. 30 minutes on the stairs burns 300 calories, about as much as you would burn on your hour long walking excursion. It’s hard work, no question about it, but does have some advantages to recommend it.

What are the benefits of stair walking?

• As just mentioned , it’s something one can do during inclement weather, when it’s just too cold or too wet to handle you regular routine.

• Or it can be a fill-in regiment to help alleviate boredom that eventually affects most every exercise walker.

• You can do it anywhere and at any time; at home, office or store.

• Like walking, you don’t need any special training or equipment beyond what you use during your regular walking activities.

• The activity places stress on muscle groups different from those involved in a standard walking gait. The quadriceps (front of you thigh) and buttock are the primary beneficiary of stair walking. Note: It’s always a good idea to give a workout to muscle groups that aren’t heavily involved in your normal exercise routine. Doing this helps prevent injury, promotes better balance and improves overall performance.

• It can be done at work and throughout the day by simply taking the stairs rather than the elevator or exchanging your 15 minute coffee break for a quick exercise break.

• You only have to spend half as much time to get the same caloric reduction and other walking benefits as your typical walking routine.

There are however a couple of added issues that come into play.

• If walking in a public building make sure that the stairs are clean, safe, well lit and ventilated.

• Start slow. Because stair walking is more a more intense activity and works different muscle groups, even the most fit exercise walker will find the going rough at the start.

• Use the railing to help you maintain your balance

• Make sure that the doors to the stairs don’t automatically lock. In some building only doors on certain floors lock and others remain open. Know the pattern and save yourself some time and perhaps a touch of panic.

• Your knees take a real pounding when your going down stairs. So if you have knee problems walk up but take an elevator down.

Stair Walking Technique

Proper, safe stair climbing posture means leaning forward slightly from the hips with the back straight. At no time, should you be rounded in the lower back area. Look forward, glancing at the stairs from time to time but without looking down with your neck bent. Avoid over-straightening your knees as you climb up. Place your whole foot on the step. Avoid climbing with your heels hanging off the edge because you can injure your Achilles tendon.

Motivation

As you can imagine, boredom is much more of a issue with stair walking that outdoor walking. One way to alleviate it is by changing the pattern of you climb. Take two stairs a time for a short burst. Hop up the stairs. Use the hand rail to pull yourself up. Climb sideways or do leg crossovers. For many, keeping a log and setting goals helps keep them motivated. You can also fall back on my favorite piece of walking equipment, my MP3 player, to help wile away the time.

The winter months will soon be behind us and the outdoors will become more accessible for our walking routines but we need to get there without sacrificing our stamina and without carrying extra holiday pounds. Stair walking, when the weather is daunting, is an alternative that we can help us get through this difficult time and accrue all the typical walking benefits. Keep in mind, to burn the same amount of calories takes half the time with stair walking and, as we all know, time is another thing that is in short supply during the holidays. Resist the impulse to “sit the winter out”. Stay active and engaged with you exercise program. Give stair walking a try and you may find your stairway to heaven.

Technorati Tags: exercise, fitness, posture, safety, stair walking, walking, winter

Proper walking form is as important as proper walking equipment and gear. Proper walking form maximizes the positive benefits of your walking routine while minimizing the risk of injury. There are several walking techniques specific to the style of walking engaged in. For example nordic and race walking have differing walking forms that helps maximize performance in that specific style. Although there are many commonalities. This post will focus on the form employed by most casual, exercise oriented walkers. We’ll break it down by body parts.

First what to do with your arms? Your arms should be bent at a 90 degree angle, no more. As you walk, they should “pump” backwards and forwards, not criss-cross across you mid-section. The more you engage your arms while you walk, the greater the aerobic impact.

Your should walk erect with your spine as straight and elongated as is comfortable . Your shoulders should be pulled back and down. Don’t swing them front to back excessively. Keep them loose and relaxed during your walk. Swing them in a circle if you feel them begin to tighten up. Try not to hunch you shoulders or lean forward or back as you walk. Keep you stomach sucked in to aid in keeping you erect and to engage additional muscles in your walking routine.

Lift you chest slightly. Breath deeply, expanding your stomach rather than your chest. Develop a step rhyme to your breathing. If you can maintain a verbal conversion with a real or imaginary partner without gasping, your breathing pattern is probably OK

Head erect and eyes looking straight ahead, not down. On rocky terrain or where footing is uncertain, keep you head erect and glace down every few seconds plotting out a course for your next few steps.

Your chin should be slightly pull in and pointed down. This will help keep your neck and head in a firm, erect position

When plating your foot it should be on the heel and push off form your flexed toes.

Try to keep your stride length moderate, not too long or too short

If, like me, find your current walking style simply awful in comparison to the above. Don’t try and change everything at one time. Take one element at a time. Once you’ve mastered that move to the next and so on until you got it down pat.

Mastering a good walking technique, like breaking in your walking equipment, takes a bit of time and effort. But with a little practice and patience it will become second nature and help you increase and maintain the effectiveness of your walking activities comfortably and injury free.

Technorati Tags: posture, walking, walking erect, walking form, walking injuries, walking properly