If you enjoy speed walking but you do not have friends to do it with, you need to teach your friends the technique so they can join you! It is often said that walking is the ideal exercise.
It's a relaxing, natural activity that is low-impact and requires no special equipment. However, your friends might prefer a faster, higher-energy exercise that still possesses the same qualities.
If so, why not try speed walking! You may have heard it called race walking as well.
When you are teaching your friends the basics of speed walking, one of the keys is the push off. Here's how to improve that important part of walking technique, plus a workout you can use when speed walking
The push off is the phase of each stride in which the toe leaves the ground after the leg has pushed backward. Unlike runners, the walker cannot rely on elastic energy to provide propulsion by bouncing off the feet when they make contact with the ground.
As a result, the push off is vital in providing forward propulsion. While keeping the heels on the ground as long as possible, be sure your friends push fully backward on each stride - if they are doing so, the back leg will appear fully extended behind the walker.
As the leg moves backward and the heel can no longer stay in touch with the ground, you and your friends should roll forward on the foot, and push off hard with the toes and balls of the feet. They may feel their butt muscles contracting during this final push-off.
As they push off, your friends should feel themselves being propelled forward. To help them experience the feeling of a good push off, have them face a wall, hands on the wall, the front leg forward and bent, and the other leg back and bent.
Instruct them to lift the heel of the rear leg and, keeping that leg straight, use the ball and toes of the back foot to push against the wall. They should feel the force they generate with their back foot as they push off-that is the same feeling they should have when they push off during an exercise walk.
You can also give them the feeling for a good push off by having them walk uphill. Uphill walking forces walkers to emphasize a good extended back of the leg.
Interval walking is an exercise you can use that involves working out hard, and practicing what you have learned. This workout can be performed in any gym, or even limited outdoor spaces.
It is sure to get heart rates up! Great for kids young and old!
On each end of the gym, post a large sign showing the workout. The idea is that your friends will walk two warm-up laps, then six singles (lengths of the gym) separated by short breaks, then four doubles, etc., until they finish with two cool-down laps.
Explain the workout, then have them pair up and work their way through the workout. Walk with them and encourage those who are struggling to keep up.
Stretch after the warm-up laps and after the cool-down laps. After each single, double, triple, etc, they must wait ten seconds (or other length) of time before they can walk again, or wait until their heart rate recovers to a certain BMP (120 for 18 year olds, for example).
Each interval must be walked at maximum speed. The idea is to really create a wave workout, where heart rates go up and down, up and down.
You can also have your friends perform other exercises between intervals (for example, heel raises, wall sits, squats). This is a fun way to get a great workout together, while having fun as friends.
Try going out together once a week, and you may enjoy it so much you start going out more often than that. You can change the shape of your body in no time!
It is also a great walk to rehabilitate joints without any kind of high impact or stress being places up on them. Talk to your friends and see if you can convince them of the many benefits which can come with this great form of cardiovascular exercise.
Author Resource:-
Terry Daniels is an accomplished expert in health and fitness. He recommends the besttreadmills you can find in the market.
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