Walking

The health benefits of going for a walk

Fitness is important to everyone, but it is especially crucial to senior citizens who wish to improve or maintain their standard of living. As people age, it becomes more difficult to get to the gym and do some of the more strenuous exercises. Walking is an ideal way for seniors to stay fit without increasing their risk of injury. The most important thing in starting a new fitness walking regimen is to be consistent in your efforts. Even if you are not able to walk for a long distance on a given day, it is crucial that you still get out there and do something.

Intensity is Important

While everyday walking is still better than nothing for seniors wishing to become more active, you need to walk at a decent intensity level to see significant results. Instead of just walking out your door and wandering around, come up with a plan for your walk ahead of time. Consider your fitness level when designing your walking plan. Start with short distances and avoid hills or other difficult terrain. Consistency is more important than intensity when you are beginning a new activity like power walking. Be sure your walking shoes are adequate to support your feet, and consider purchasing a walking stick to assist you until you build strength and stamina.

Increase the Pace

If you have hit a plateau with your walking routine, you may need to shake things up or increase the intensity of your workouts. The first place to start is increasing the pace or duration of your walking. You don’t ever want to be at a running pace, but a fast power walking pace is excellent for burning calories. Another way to make your body work harder while walking is to use handheld or ankle weights. The added resistance will burn more calories even if you remain at the same pace and distance.

Power Walking

Once you have developed some leg strength and can handle walking for a moderate length of time, you are ready to add some hills to your power walking route. Try to keep a relatively fast pace, even on the uphill portions of your walk. Again, a walking stick or walking cane may be useful for these areas. You do not want to move so fast that you are almost jogging or running because this may cause undue stress on your hips or knees. The reason walking is such a great fitness activity for seniors is that it is low impact, so always stay under control to keep it that way.