Healthy walking is good for youth and longevity; this statement is no longer a secret to anyone. All types of walking and just walking for health are very popular in Japan, apparently because this is the simplest and most accessible method of all known to us.

The Japanese are confident that by walking daily you can maintain your health and even cure many diseases. Scientists have proven that leading a sedentary lifestyle leads to the accumulation of toxins, sugar, and fat in the blood, which are the cause of many diseases.

The Japanese doctor, Professor I. Yumi, in his book “The Eastern Path to Health,” claims that healthy walking is the best way to restore lost health and the right path to longevity, but you need to walk daily, at a certain speed and do from 6,000 to 10,000 steps.

Everyone knows that physical activity regulates blood pressure and leads to normal weight, while physical inactivity, on the contrary, leads to obesity and high blood pressure.

Moderate physical activity reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes by up to 17%, and an active lifestyle by 33%, the risk of cardiovascular diseases is significantly reduced.

Scientists have developed an approximate scale of healthy walking, relative to a person’s age. In this case, it is necessary to take into account that the step width is approximately 75 cm; if the step is shorter, then the walking speed must be increased.

The benefits of healthy walking, according to a Japanese professor?

☼ The leg muscles, intensely contracting and relaxing when walking, accelerate blood in the lower part of the body, which helps lower blood pressure.

☼ Working muscles of the legs, pelvis, and back while walking for health send impulses to the brain, which prevents the development of brain diseases: dementia, Alzheimer’s and others.

☼ Movement strengthens not only the muscles, but also the bone skeleton, which leads to better absorption of calcium by bone tissue, preventing the development of osteoporosis.

☼ Cholesterol increases in the blood (meaning “good”), which inhibits the development of atherosclerosis.

☼ All joints are gradually developed, especially ankles and knees, and developed muscle and tendon tissues will reduce the load on them.

☼ The muscles of the lower body make up up to 70% of the entire muscle frame, so when working, they burn more fat and carbohydrates, which has a beneficial effect on the health of obese people and people with diabetes.

☼ You probably already know that there are acupuncture points on the human foot that correspond to certain human organs. Healthy walking stimulates these biologically active points, which means it has a beneficial effect on all organs, improving metabolic processes.

☼ Healthy walking adds vitality and energy; during movement, endorphins and happiness hormones are more actively synthesized, which leads to positive emotions, improving mood and relieving neuroses and depression.

☼ Healthy breathing is established, it becomes deeper and smoother, and the likelihood of contracting colds and bronchitis gradually decreases.

☼ Many people now work out in gyms using exercise machines, but walking in the fresh air will bring you much more health benefits. Fresh air saturates the body with oxygen, which is clearly not enough in enclosed spaces.

If you want to find out which 4 factors significantly weaken the body’s defenses, and at the same time read recommendations on how to delay the aging process, then follow the link.

Now, watch a short video about how to turn an ordinary walk into a healthy sports activity and what are the benefits of healthy walking:

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And for them, healthy walking is a kind of daily fitness. There are practically no restrictions; doctors advise older people and patients with hypertension to start doing recreational walking every day. It will also be useful for people who are overweight.

The benefits of healthy walking for the body

What benefits does healthy walking bring to the body? Let's start with the fact that when walking, a person's blood vessels and heart are trained, which, in turn, reduces the risk of various heart diseases. No wonder they say: “Run from a heart attack.” But when running, there is a greater load on the joints than when walking, and this is contraindicated for people who have problems with the joints. And the best option in this situation would be to take up recreational walking.

What benefits can walking bring? Calories are burned and excess weight is lost. It is recommended that people who are obese walk more, as it is very difficult for them to engage in any kind of sport. Walking gradually relieves them of hated kilograms, as it is one of them. Walking in the fresh air, especially in the evening, improves sleep, strengthens the immune system, and has a beneficial effect on the psyche, as stress resistance increases.

Walking technique

Will walking help you lose weight? Calories will be spent and kilograms will go away if everything is done correctly. Health walking has a special technique, since it is a specific sport.

Healthy walking technique:

• When walking, bend your elbows at an angle of 90 degrees. Hand movements should be rhythmic and performed along the body back and forth.
• Your hands should be clenched into fists, but not too much.
• When walking, the foot moves from heel to toe, the torso should be relaxed, the stomach should be pulled in, the shoulders should be relaxed and straightened.

As you know, in order for walking to be truly healthy, you need to have a system. This means that you need to set aside three days a week for training, you should walk for at least forty minutes, the walking speed should be 6.5 km/h, but at the same time you need to monitor your heart rhythms, they should not exceed one hundred and forty beats per minute . Avoid shortness of breath, breathe evenly, inhale air through your nose for the first three steps, and exhale through your mouth for the next three steps.

Walking with ski poles has also become very popular. This option is much more intense, since when moving in this way, almost 90% of all muscles in the body work.

Nordic walking

This type of walking for health purposes was invented in Scandinavia. Initially, it was used by skiers who, in order not to lose shape in the summer, practiced walking, which imitated cross-country skiing. Since then, walking with ski poles has become increasingly popular, with many athletes choosing it as an aerobic activity between workouts.

Let's look at the advantages of this type of walking:

• Firstly, during it the load on the joints of the legs is significantly reduced, since it is evenly distributed on the legs and arms.
• Secondly, if you have sticks in your hands, your walking speed increases significantly.
• Thirdly, the blood vessels pass through in a more loaded mode, which has a positive effect on their condition.
• Fourthly, posture is well corrected, since the presence of sticks in the hands does not allow a person to slouch, and he involuntarily keeps his back straight.
• Fifthly, it has a beneficial effect on curing diseases of the cervical and shoulder joints.

This type of intense walking is accessible to everyone. There is no need to buy expensive equipment or pay for fitness rooms. This is a great option that allows you to take care of your health and body without spending a lot of money, just buy ski poles and go.

If you have a problem with the spine, you want to lose weight, or you don’t have a lot of money to buy a gym membership, then walking with poles is suitable for you. It is not very popular in Russia yet, but you can always buy yourself equipment and start getting healthier right now.

A little about morning jogging

We are always told that jogging in the morning is very useful, since it is a universal type of exercise that has never harmed anyone. But it is not always as useful and safe as they say. There is an opinion that the myth about the dangers of jogging was invented by those who do not want to do it, but this is not so. Professionals say that if you have some chronic diseases, jogging can only cause harm.

Jogging in the morning is, of course, very useful if it takes place in the fresh air. It is in the fresh air, and not in the atmosphere of a big city. When running around a metropolis, you need to understand that, of course, there will be benefits for the muscles, they will tighten up, but the lungs, into which the city air will enter, may suffer.

Jogging is contraindicated for people with severe heart and vascular diseases, people with obesity, and people with sore joints. In general, there are quite a lot of risk groups, and for this reason it is better to use an alternative type of exercise - recreational walking.

Why is running not recommended if you have heart disease? The fact is that with such a load as jogging, we are not talking about building muscle mass, it is rather a kind of means for losing weight. And there is an opinion that as all the muscles become smaller, the same happens to the heart, as a result the person begins to feel worse. Of course, in this case, if you run moderately and monitor your heart rate, then jogging will not harm.

In any case, jogging in the morning is a purely individual matter. Try it and evaluate the sensations after the first attempt, if you feel normal, then you can continue to do this further, but if not, then it’s better to take up recreational walking.

Evening jog before bed

Let's talk about evening jogging. If we compare them with morning ones, then they are much more beneficial for the body, since it is already prepared for exercise. Also, an evening jog relieves stress accumulated throughout the working day and enriches the body with oxygen.

Only you will decide at what time and how much to run, as it depends on how busy you are. But there are some rules that say that you should run no more than 4 times a week, since the body needs to be given rest. Less often is also not recommended, since the load will be insufficient. The best time for walking or jogging is from seven to ten o'clock in the evening, it should last about forty minutes. Jogging should begin an hour after you eat in the evening. You should not run too late, as it will be difficult for your excited body to calm down, and you may not fall asleep on time.

It is better to run in a park or on a sports ground, as the air there is cleaner than on the paths that run through the city.

How to run?

In order for jogging to be beneficial, you need to divide it into three equal parts. We start the run with a simple warm-up, then run at a moderate pace, after a while we speed up, and finally - a very slow run, almost walking. If you are just starting to jog in the evenings, then you need to monitor your condition, breathe correctly, and make sure your pulse doesn’t lose track. Watch your posture and don't swing your arms too much. Don't run for an hour at once, start small, for example with five minutes, and gradually increase the time and pace, this way you can avoid some unpleasant moments in your health.

If you lead a sedentary lifestyle and decide to start running, then with a high probability after the first classes your leg muscles will ache, there is nothing wrong with that, you should not stop exercising, after a week of jogging in the evenings, your muscles will get used to the load and will stop hurting.

Walking and hypertension

Any hypertensive person is afraid of sudden movements, since in this case the pressure may change sharply. Of course, you need to strengthen your heart muscle. But how to do this correctly, if just from climbing the stairs your heart jumps out and you suffer from severe shortness of breath?

You need to take up recreational walking, which is indicated for almost all hypertensive patients, if they do not have exacerbations. You need to walk, but just take precautions.

Note

Be sure to take note:

• You should start walking only after visiting your doctor and consulting with him.
• The load should increase gradually. If you feel slightly unwell while walking, stop immediately and rest. And the next day you can try again, but only at a slower pace.
• Warm-up should be light, without bending or squatting.
• Don't force yourself to walk through force; this process should give you pleasure.
• You need to exercise regularly, every other day, but without fanaticism; as soon as you start to feel tired, you need to stop walking immediately.
• Your movements should be slow and measured.

Nordic walking is very effective for hypertension, as it can be an auxiliary tool for relaxation. So, if shortness of breath appears while walking, you need to stop and rest, and this can be done by leaning on sticks. Once breathing has been restored, you can safely move on.

As soon as you start training, your blood pressure may increase and your pulse may increase, but this is due to increased blood circulation in the body. In some cases, dizziness may occur. But with constant training under the supervision of specialists, after a month of training, an improvement in overall well-being is observed, pressure surges disappear, and headaches go away. The main thing is that classes can be conducted in any weather, regardless of the time of year.

With constant walking, over time, the heart muscle will strengthen, and your disease may recede; the blood vessels, whose tone is significantly reduced, are also strengthened, and as a result, blood pressure drops to normal.

It is good to start practicing recreational walking at a time when the disease has just begun to manifest itself, then you can avoid all sorts of complications. But even with fairly advanced hypertension, doctors advise their patients this type of physical activity, but only under constant supervision.

Terrenkur - walking treatment

In the process of walking, our body uses a lot of muscles, the respiratory system and joints.

Scientists have long been interested in the effects of walking on human health, and now an innovation has appeared called a health path. prescribed to patients as an alternative to medications. At the same time, the walking route, duration and pace depend on the severity of the disease.

One of the advantages of this type of healing is that the load on the joints is minimal. And therefore, this method was originally intended for obese and physically unprepared people. Walking also helps those who are not recommended to run for health reasons, for example, people suffering from osteochondrosis. You can’t run, but you can do walking, especially for recreational purposes.

Types of health path

There are so many types of health path:

• An easy, flat route of five hundred meters.
• Average, the pace of walking changes periodically, you need to walk for one and a half kilometers, and the route is drawn up on an uneven surface.
• Difficult, many sections with changes in terrain, length of more than six kilometers, intensive walking method varies with slow walking.

How does health path affect the body?

Doctors have found that healthy walking helps the body cope with many ailments, as the supply of oxygen to the organs improves, the muscle corset is developed, metabolism accelerates, which leads to weight loss and a decrease in the load on the joints.

In addition, health path increases blood flow in the legs, which can help fight leg diseases without surgery.

In order to get the long-awaited benefits from the health path, you need not just to walk, but to do it correctly.

It is necessary to start with the easiest one, since the body needs to get used to the loads that you place on it. You must make the decision to take up this sport consciously, since healthy walking should bring pleasure, which will not happen under duress. After you have completed several workouts and you feel that this route has become too easy for you, you can move on to the intermediate level of training. It will take you a lot more time to master it, but it's worth it. Because you will begin to feel much better and will be ready to go further in your training, moving on to the most difficult level of health walking.

In conclusion, I would like to say: no matter which one you choose, the result will not be long in coming. It can be as simple as walking in the fresh air in the evenings; it will definitely have a beneficial effect on the health of your body as a whole. After you start practicing this sport, your muscles will tighten, if you have extra pounds, they will go away, your heart and blood vessels will be trained. All internal organs will begin to work much better, as a large amount of oxygen will begin to flow to them. You will become immune to various stressful situations and your mood and well-being will improve.

As we have already found out, walking and running are the most popular and most accessible means of health training. However, medical monitoring data indicate that 25-50% of people who start recreational running are forced to either completely stop or interrupt training for a long time due to pain in various parts of the spine or in the joints of the legs. Why is this happening?

It is known that 70-80% of men over 30 years old have one or another pathology in the spine. One of the most common hypotheses explaining the origin of such diseases is as follows: naturally, the human musculoskeletal system is adapted to walking on soft ground. He also wears hard shoes on hard surfaces. Under these conditions, each step represents a kind of blow. The shock wave, spreading throughout the body, reaches the intervertebral discs and causes one or another pathology. Therefore, before you start race walking, you need to fulfill some requirements, since race walking also has its own technique.

Recommendations for preventing the adverse effects of fast walking (according to experts, it becomes healthy when performed at a pace of 120 steps/min or more) are usually associated with the selection of soft surfaces and rational shoes. Indeed, both are very important. Walking on soft ground, garden or forest paths covered with a carpet of foliage is not only safe (from the point of view of overload), but also simply pleasant. Therefore, you need to think carefully about your training routes; it is best to get to the nearest park or suburban area.

The hardness of the ground can also be compensated for by enhancing the shock-absorbing properties of the shoes. It is necessary to put foam insoles of different softness and thickness into shoes, and wear thick woolen socks. Shoes with elastic, flexible soles are best. This allows you to engage all the numerous joints of the tarsus and metatarsus and activate the relatively small muscles of the foot. If shoes have a hard sole and especially tight lacing, then when walking almost only the ankle joint works, which contributes to overload of various parts of the foot and impedes blood circulation.

In addition to shoes and the quality of the route, walking technique also deserves attention. Rational walking dramatically reduces shaking and shock waves. It is necessary to minimize (it is impossible to completely avoid them) vertical movements of the body when walking. It is they who mainly generate pulsating overloads and microvibrations. Therefore, there is no need to rush to separate the heel of the pushing leg from the support - this should happen after the free leg passes the vertical. Otherwise, so-called vertical walking is observed, in which the center of body mass moves up and down at each step by about 5-9 cm. Later heel separation allows the push-off to be directed more forward than upward.

Strict control over your movements is especially necessary in the first lessons. In the future, gradually - quite quickly - the necessary skill is developed. It is so strong and precise that the time it takes for individual muscles to turn on and off (when walking under normal conditions) can vary by only thousandths of a second. Walking correctly is beautiful. There is a feeling of non-stop, smooth body movements. Steps are no longer perceived as separate motor acts, and each movement naturally flows into the general rhythm. Among other things, such walking is very economical. The energy saved at each step allows you to significantly increase the range of transitions. Walking brings the greatest health benefits when its duration is increased to an hour, and the regularity of exercise is up to 5-6 times a week, and on one of the days off the load doubles. The minimum rate of training is 3 times a week for 30 minutes. You can exercise at any time when it is more convenient for you. You just need to remember that there should be a break of at least 30 minutes between running training and eating. You should not turn recreational walking into sports walking by increasing speed and distance. You can and should train all year round. If the air temperature is below minus 15 degrees, then the distance can be reduced somewhat, and if it is below minus 20 degrees, then it is better to cancel the workout. Although this is not necessary.

• Before training, carefully check the condition of your shoes
• · Thick socks made of a mixture of wool and cotton should be worn on your feet;
• · You should exercise at least 3 times a week and for at least 30 minutes.
• Do not increase or decrease speed unnecessarily
• · You should constantly strengthen the muscles of the arch of your feet to avoid the development of flat feet
• · the greatest training effect is achieved when the training time approaches one hour
• · you should monitor your pulse rate - it should not be more than 180 beats per minute. minus your age.
• · during training, self-control is necessary so as not to overload the body and not undermine your health

Separately, it is worth dwelling on the issue of self-control as an important component of race walking.

3.3. Healthy walking technique

The most popular and most accessible means of health training are walking and running. However, medical monitoring data indicate that 25-50% of people who start recreational running are forced to either completely stop or interrupt training for a long time due to pain in various parts of the spine or in the joints of the legs.

Why is this happening? A well-known specialist in biomechanics, Professor V. M. Zatsifsky writes: “70-80% of men over 30 years old have one or another pathology in the spine and various neurological diseases associated with it - lumbosacral radiculitis, etc.” One of the most common hypotheses explaining the origin of such diseases is as follows: naturally, the human musculoskeletal system is adapted to walking barefoot on soft ground. He also wears hard shoes on hard surfaces. Under these conditions, each step represents a kind of blow. The shock wave, spreading throughout the body, reaches the intervertebral discs and causes one or another pathology. This issue was studied by scientists: accelemetric sensors were implanted into bone tissue.

Huge overloads have been recorded that spread throughout the body when walking quickly on a hard surface. They are especially large on the heels... somewhat smaller on the shins. Overloads reach the spine and head. When such blows are repeated continuously for many years and millions of such blows accumulate, it is not surprising that pathology arises."

Recommendations for preventing the adverse effects of fast walking (according to experts, it becomes healthy when performed at a pace of 120 steps/min or more) are usually associated with the selection of soft surfaces and rational shoes. Indeed, both are very important. Walking on soft ground, garden or forest paths covered with a carpet of foliage is not only safe (from the point of view of overload), but also simply pleasant. Therefore, think carefully about your training routes; it is best to get to the nearest park or suburban area.

The hardness of the ground can also be compensated for by enhancing the shock-absorbing properties of the shoes. Put foam insoles of different softness and thickness into your shoes, and wear thick woolen socks. Be sure to choose shoes with elastic, flexible soles. This allows you to engage all the numerous joints of the tarsus and metatarsus and activate the relatively small muscles of the foot. If shoes have a hard sole and especially tight lacing, then when walking almost only the ankle joint works, which contributes to overload of various parts of the foot and impedes blood circulation.

In addition to shoes and the quality of the route, walking technique also deserves attention. Rational walking dramatically reduces shaking and shock waves. Try to minimize (it is impossible to completely avoid them) vertical movements of the body when walking. It is they who mainly generate pulsating overloads and microvibrations. Therefore, do not rush to separate the heel of the pushing leg from the support - this should happen after the free leg has passed the vertical. Otherwise, so-called vertical walking is observed, in which the center of body mass moves up and down at each step by about 5-9 cm. Later heel separation allows the push-off to be directed more forward than upward.

Strict control over your movements is especially necessary in the first lessons. In the future, gradually - quite quickly - the necessary skill is developed. It is so strong and precise that the time it takes for individual muscles to turn on and off (when walking under normal conditions) can vary by only thousandths of a second.

Walking correctly is beautiful. There is a feeling of non-stop, smooth body movements. Steps are no longer perceived as separate motor acts, and each movement naturally flows into the general rhythm. Among other things, such walking is very economical. The energy saved at each step allows you to significantly increase the range of transitions.

3.4. Dosage of exercise for people with minimal deviations in health

In order to properly dose the load, you need to run with a watch with a second hand and learn to measure your pulse. It is better to do this by placing your fingers on the front of the neck (projection of the carotid artery) or on the wrist (projection of the radial artery). When running, the pulse is measured for 10 seconds, immediately after stopping. For example, you ran 1-2 laps, stopped and immediately measured your heart rate for 10 seconds without delay.

First stage. At this stage, it is necessary to maintain your heart rate during the entire jogging session at the level of 18-20 beats per 10 seconds. If even the slowest jogging is accompanied by a pulse exceeding 20 beats in 10 seconds, then you should start walking.

In general, the tactics should be approximately the following: you run 1-2 laps at a slow pace, stop and immediately measure your heart rate for 10 seconds. If the number of beats is less than 18, then you need to increase your running speed, if more than 20, you need to run slower or start walking. After running (or walking) another lap, stop again and measure your pulse and, if necessary, change the pace. Once you find the right running (or walking) pace, stop every 2-3 laps and check your pulse. Over time, you will learn to roughly determine your pulse based on how you feel, and you will be able to stop less often.

In the first two to three weeks, run for 10 minutes 3 times a week, then you can gradually increase the time to 20 minutes. Take your time to increase the load, be attentive to your feelings. Excessive stress, especially in the early stages, when the body has not yet adapted to this type of physical stimulation, can cause a stress reaction and aggravate the disease. If the background conditions (and especially nutrition) are correct, then the best guide is your own well-being. Just like other forms of exercise, running should be fun.

Second stage. From about 5 weeks, you can gradually increase the load by increasing the speed so that during running the heart rate is 22-24 beats per 10 seconds (and over time, increase to 23-25 ​​beats per 10 seconds). The time of one lesson is 20 minutes. Let me remind you once again that you need to run every other day or 3 times a week.

To maintain health, such a running load is quite enough, especially for people involved in other types of physical exercise. For those who want to go further, I recommend turning to E.G. Milner’s book “I Choose Running.”

3.5. Self-control

When jogging, it is very important to prevent an overdose, especially for the elderly and people with changes in the cardiovascular system. Let us remind you that the main load when running falls on the cardiovascular system, and disasters in this system - heart attack, stroke - are very dangerous. Therefore, self-control is very important. The adequacy of the load can be monitored by the following tests:

Take your heart rate 10 minutes after finishing your run. If it is above 100 beats per minute, then the load was excessive.

Orthostatic test. Take your pulse for one minute while lying in bed in the morning, immediately after waking up, then slowly stand up and take your pulse after one minute while standing. If the standing pulse exceeds the initial value by 20, this indicates that the load is excessive and the body does not have time to recover. The loads need to be reduced and it is better not to run for a week at all, but to do other types of physical exercise, preferably hatha yoga and relaxation. Note that such a difference in pulses can also occur during cleansing, exacerbation of a chronic disease, or during dietary irregularities.

If the difference in heart rate is no more than 12, the loads are adequate to your capabilities. A difference of 16-18 blows indicates that the load is at the permissible limit.

As your physical capabilities increase, the value of the orthostatic test and the morning pulse immediately after waking up will decrease.

Other signs of overtraining: poor sleep, lethargy and drowsiness during the day, decreased performance, sometimes sweating, exacerbation of a chronic disease, discomfort in the heart, increased blood pressure. In this case, it is also necessary to reduce the load by about 1.5-2 times and pay more attention to diet and relaxation.

4. Conclusion

Health-improving running and race walking have beneficial properties that are difficult to reproduce by any other type of physical activity. First of all, this has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, especially at the level of the smallest vessels - arterioles, venules, capillaries. Lack of movement in modern humans leads to desolation and atrophy of a large number of capillaries and disruption of the blood supply to tissues. Properly dosed running and walking opens collapsed, non-functioning capillaries, and also promotes the growth of new capillaries in depleted areas and areas damaged by disease, which is especially important.

Regular training in recreational running has a positive effect on all parts of the musculoskeletal system, preventing the development of degenerative changes associated with age and physical inactivity. Restriction of the flow of joint fluid (lymph) during physical inactivity leads to impaired nutrition of cartilage and loss of elasticity of ligaments, a decrease in the shock-absorbing properties of joints and the development of arthrosis. Cyclic exercises (running, cycling, swimming) increase the flow of lymph to articular cartilage and intervertebral discs, which is the best prevention of arthrosis and radiculitis. The positive effect of running on joint function is possible only if adequate (not exceeding the capabilities of the musculoskeletal system) loads are used and gradually increased during exercise.

The concentration of beta-endorphins and met-endorphins - mediators of pain and pleasure - increases. Researchers suggest that a similar response occurs with all cycling exercises. Self-control during individual training. When starting independent physical exercise, everyone should outline for themselves not only the most accessible means and training program, but also...

Walking) - to moderate; continuous running (for well-trained runners at an intensity of 75-80% of MOC) leads to fairly heavy physical activity. Extra-heavy loads (over 85°/about MOC) should not be used in health training, as they quickly lead to fatigue and incoordination of the respiratory and circulatory functions (with possible overstrain of adaptation mechanisms). Character...

Healthy walking is a universal type of physical activity for those who love an active lifestyle. It can be practiced by people of any age and gender, it can be especially recommended for the elderly, overweight and those who have orthopedic disorders.

Walking is an excellent measure for preventing heart and vascular diseases. Those who regularly walk are less likely to suffer strokes and heart attacks. For those who are interested in what is better: recreational running or walking, the answer is that in the second case, the joints experience less stress, because the center of gravity is in the middle and the pressure on the knees, lower back, legs and ankles is significantly reduced. When walking, the leg does not have, as they say, a flight phase, which means the shaking from impacts on the surface of the earth is much weaker.

You can practice healthy walking even if you have hypertension, and this is perhaps one of the few forms of physical activity recommended for obese people. Thanks to minor intense exercise, they gradually get rid of extra pounds without compromising their health. Walking in the fresh air improves immunity, has a positive effect on the psyche, increasing resistance.

Healthy walking technique

This sport is characterized by the following features:

• the arms must be bent at the elbow joints and held at a right angle, moving them back and forth along the body;
• keep your fingers loose and clenched into fists;
• place the limb from heel to toe and follow the principle - left hand, right foot;
• Don’t strain your body, but tuck your stomach in, don’t bend your back too much, pull your shoulders back and slightly relax.

For walking to have “sports” status and improve health, experts advise training three times a week for 30–40 minutes, moving at a speed of 6.5–8.5 km/h and maintaining a heart rate ranging from 120–140 beats per minute . There should be no shortness of breath; you need to breathe deeply and measuredly, inhaling air through your nose for three steps and exhaling through your mouth for the next three steps.

No less popular is the wellness technique, the technique of which is very similar to that of cross-country skiing. At the same time, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are loaded more intensely, and about 90% of all muscles are involved in work. With its help, you can add variety to your usual training regimen.