Movement:

Standing straight with a relaxed stance is important. Avoid unnatural arches that may occur in the lower back.

Make sure that the buttocks are not protruding out of alignment with the spine. The buttocks should be in line with the spine, or tucked under the body.

Your head should be centred between the shoulders. Your chest should be up with your shoulders back.

Bend your arms at the elbows until they are 90 degrees. While walking, your arms should swing back and forth.

Walking comes more from the hips than the thighs. Your hips should be loose and relaxed.

Strides should be short and fast. You will later naturally develop a longer stride.

Caution:

Anyone with the approval of their physician can incorporate walking into a fitness regime.

The New England Journal of Medicine presented a "Prospective study of walking as compared with vigorous exercise in the prevention of coronary heart disease in women." This 1986 study was conducted on 72,488 female nurses ages 40-65. The study indicated that, "brisk walking and vigorous exercise are associated with substantial and similar reductions in the incidence of coronary events among women." New England Journal of Medicine-- August 26, 1999 -- Vol. 341. No. 9

More Info:

For those who are able to walk, this activity may be the most accessible form of exercise. This low impact exercise has become the ideal starting point of many exercise regimes.

Walking can be performed nearly everywhere. There appears to be no limitations regarding the duration of this activity for those who are injury free healthy adults.

For those with health considerations, walking may be just what the doctor ordered. The simple mechanics of walking provide people with a natural way of beginning a rehabilitation programme.

For weight loss, walking is the best step in beginning an exercise regime. TescoDiets strongly recommends that members walk a respectable distance everyday. For most, this activity is an appropriate means of training your heart.

Walking may eventually provide people with the endurance to try different and more challenging exercises.

This activity may be performed inside or outdoors, in the gym or at the shopping centre. This is what is so appealing about walking. It is a low cost, everyday activity that most take for granted.

TescoDiets recommends that members, in good weather, park a little further from the entrance of the shopping centre. If possible, take a walk to the post office rather than driving. These little steps are important in increasing the exercise level of our members.