Get outside!
It’s the perfect time for a spring walk! Make this form of exercise more effective with a few tips.
The weather is finally just right to get outside and work up a sweat. Walking might be just what your soul needs right now.
Maybe you just want to walk around your neighborhood or explore a new one.
Maybe you want to challenge your body in a different way, to tone up, or lose weight.
Steps To Take Before You Go, Go, Go!
STRETCH:
Improve your walking and minimize injuries with 3 of the best walking stretches.
Note: modify these stretches by supporting yourself with a sturdy chair
Stand with your feet wide apart. Keep one leg straight and your toes pointing forward while bending the other leg and turning your toes out to the side. Lower your groin towards the ground and rest your hands on your bent knee or the ground.
2. Kneeling Hip and Quad StretchKneel on one foot and the other knee. If needed, hold on to something to keep your balance and then push your hips forward.
3. Standing Toe-up Lower Calf and Achilles Stretch:
Stand upright and place the ball of your foot onto a step or raised object. Bend your knee and lean forward.
Fitting Guidelines for Walking Shoes
Good shoes are soooo important!
I think the main thing is not to, what I call, “Over Shoe”. Our shoes have become so padded and filled with arch support cushioning that the foot is no longer doing any work to maintain muscle structure and flexibility.
Many professional trainers are removing athletes’ insoles from their training shoes to improve function. Here’s why:
- Less distance between your foot and the ground means your toes can do their job: grip the floor and keep you upright more easily. This means less stress on your neck and back.
- Undulating insoles have unnecessary arch supports and heel cupping which throws off the NATURAL biomechanics of the foot and often makes your body fall forward – test this by breathing in, breathing out and letting your body fully slump forward: if the shoes are no good for you, you will start falling forward or at least see your shoulders slump forward (collapsing you through the chest) Compare this to when you are standing BAREFOOT (no socks) and doing the same test.
- Often a little bit of extra foot space in the ‘toe box’ we get after removing insoles gives the mid foot room to do its job too. The shoe may feel slightly too big for a couple of days but when your foot starts to relax the metatarsals will spread a little bit so they can more easily keep you upright.
It is often quite an adjustment for the body to suddenly have the false support padding of the shoe removed. There will most likely be some soreness as the body starts it bio structural correction. Remember structure equals’ function. Alignment from the inside is natural and comes from naturally.
Be smart, start your spring walk slowly, and add barefoot hours to your day.
MuscleCheck will definitely help your muscles as your body re-aligns.