| A Walk with a Purpose |
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| by Diet Detective Editorial Staff | |
| Wednesday, 28 June 2006 | |
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Charity walks are a wonderful way to show you care about others and yourself. What to raise your level of motivation for your walking workout? Why not plan for a charity walk? You can help raise money and awareness about diseases and conditions in many cities across the nation. Some charity walks require you to raise money to participate. Others just appreciate your support of the cause. Either way, you will be helping others while you get a great workout. A charity walk can be a bit longer than your regular walk and will definitely be more crowded. Here are a few tips to make sure your first (or next) charity walk starts off on the right foot: Wear good walking shoes: A good pair of shoes is absolutely necessary for a fitness walk. Walking shoes tend to offer more stability than running shoes and have a wide heel and a sole that flexes at the ball of the foot. The best-fitting shoe will cup your heel snugly but allow you to wiggle your toes. If your shoes are new, make sure that you break them in prior to the event. It's best if you can break them in for at least a couple days prior to the event, but at the very least, wear them around your house. Stretch before and after the event: If you are not used to walking for long periods of time, or you want to prevent soreness the next day, then you need to stretch before the event. Concentrate on stretching your calves, hamstrings, quadriceps and lower back, because those are the muscles you'll be using the most. Also, remember to do a quick warm-up if the event doesn't provide one: doing a few lunges, jumping jacks or marching in place should kick-start your circulation. Don't forget to stretch after the event: Your muscles will still be warm and pliable, which provides you with the perfect opportunity for maximum benefit of the stretch while providing some injury and/or soreness prevention. Keep yourself hydrated: The importance of drinking water before, during and after an event cannot be stressed enough. Water cools your body and carries oxygen and energy to your muscles. If you're not properly hydrated, you risk a bad walk, cramps and even heat stroke. If you get thirsty during your walk, then you're already dehydrated. Drink at least eight glasses of water daily, but if you work out regularly or drink a lot of caffeine, then you need more than eight glasses. A good rule of thumb is to drink one glass of water about 10 minutes before the walk begins. While on your walk you should drink approximately one cup of water every 20 minutes. Wear sunblock: If you don't want to cross the finish line with a sunburn, then make sure you put on sunblock and wear a hat and sunglasses. Also, pay attention to your clothing. Cotton might be comfortable, but it tends to absorb sweat and moisture and hold it against your body. Synthetic fabrics, which are designed to pull sweat away from your body and evaporate it into the air, work best. Also layeryour clothes, so you can regulate your temperature during the event. Add a conditioning component to your walk: You can use this event to burn calories and tone your thighs, calves and abdominals. While walking, take long strides, making sure to step heel-to-toe, when pushing off the toe, squeeze your glutes and abs tight. Also, swing your arms high and keep your head up. Signs to stop: There's nothing quite as exciting as crossing a finish line, but you should never force yourself to continue. If you experience and any sharp, shooting pain, numbness, dull aching or swelling, then stop immediately and seek medical attention. Most major health associations sponsor fitness walks throughout the year. Here are just a few of the causes that hold events: AIDS: www.aidswalk.com Bookmark:            Trackback(0)
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