5 Types of Walking Which Will Improve Your Overall Health

While walking is often considered simple, more often than not we tend to ignore the right posture or technique while walking. Read on to find out how many types of walking have developed and how they can improve your health.

What You Should Know:

Different types of walking
How walking improves your overall health

Different types of walking

Different walking styles can offer multiple physical and mental health benefits. While working out, you can incorporate a mix of these different types of walking workouts to improve your overall health:

Chi walking

This is a form of meditation where walking acts as a physical activity to calm your mind. It helps you become aware of your surroundings as well as your body and thoughts. Breathing exercises are very important in mindful or chi walking, and it helps in lifting your mood.

Brisk walking

This walking technique involves taking at least 100 steps per minute. You can keep a count of this using a fitness tracker, which should also be able to tell you your heart rate. This can also help you to know when to slow down and speed up again.

Stroll walking

Never underestimate the health benefits of a daily stroll. If you keep up your daily walk of at least an hour a day for 5 days a week, you will still see health benefits like – improved bone and muscle health and weight control.

Nordic walking

Nordic walking is great for people with joint problems or those recovering from injuries. In addition, nordic walking is also known for its cardiovascular benefits. Nordic walking increases oxygen consumption, resulting in a more efficient cardiovascular workout. Regularly practising this walking style can not only lower blood pressure naturally but also decrease the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Race walking

Race walking is a highly specialized form of competitive walking that requires unique techniques and rules. This type of walking requires race walkers to always maintain contact with the ground at all times. It is a challenging and demanding sport that tests both speed and endurance.

The distinctive technique used in race walking involves a straight leg and a heel-to-toe motion. The hips sway from side to side, and the arms move in sync with the legs, creating a fluid motion. This technique allows race walkers to cover long distances efficiently while minimizing the risk of disqualification for lifting or breaking contact with the ground. Race walking helps improve cardiovascular endurance, strengthens muscles in the legs, hips, and core, and enhances overall stamina and body control.

How walking improves your overall health?

Although walking is a low-intensive exercise, it has many benefits:

Boosts your metabolism
Increases energy levels
Promotes heart health
Improves cardiovascular fitness
Helps to strengthen your bones and muscles
Improves muscle endurance
Helps manage various lifestyle conditions, like high blood pressure, diabetes and weight management.
Improves balance and coordination

However, you must maintain a good body posture while trying different walking styles to reap these benefits.

How to maintain a good walking posture

Walking involves the entire body when done correctly. Getting the posture right while walking will need you to be aware of how you walk. Here are some tips that you can watch out for while trying out different types of walking styles.

Keep your head up with your chin parallel to the ground.
Elongate your spine by avoiding slouching or leaning forwards.
Keep your shoulders loose, but don’t hunch.
Engage your core muscles by pulling your belly button in.

Walking is a universal activity that can be done almost anywhere, and it’s suitable for people of all ages and abilities. It’s never too late to start walking!

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