This is the Gold Coast and we take our exercise outdoors. On my way to the harbor in the morning, I am often amazed and amused by the number of people out walking, jogging and running.
I most admire the power-walkers. I believe they best portray our local style of taking it to the streets, and I believe they do the best job for themselves in terms of a good aerobic workout with reasonable strain on moving body parts.
A great benefit of any walking style is getting out in our neighborhoods, seeing sights and exchanging “Howdy” greetings with other health seekers. Power walkers tend to cover considerable distance after initially growing accustomed to prolonged exertion, so more sights will naturally be seen and more greetings exchanged from this up close perspective.
This activity goes by a number of names such as power walking, race walking, speed walking, and pacing. It is an arm-pumping, hip-rolling intense workout that will make your heart and lungs work like you are running, yet put much less stress on the knees, back and ankles (not sure about the hips). It looks to use as much energy to power walk as it does to jog.
Doesn’t it stand to reason that power walking will lower blood pressure and cholesterol level, increase aerobic capacity, help with weight management, and lower stress levels? It is certainly a great way to burn fat, as much as 500 calories per hour. When done properly, power walking works quadriceps, hamstrings, abdominals, gluteus, calves and shins — all at the same time.
To bring you a better description of how it’s done properly, I found the following by Angie Ferguson, as fitness columnist in South Florida: “The hallmark sign of a good race-walker is the hip-roll technique. Stand straight and tall, with your shoulders and torso aligned over your hips. Keep your chin lifted, parallel to the ground, and eyes looking forward. Abdominals are strong and pulled in tight.
“Begin by stepping forward with your right foot, landing on your heel with toes pointed up towards your nose. Roll through the foot from heel to the toe to propel yourself forward. As you warm up, begin increasing your pace by increasing the number of steps you take.
“Keep the arms bent at a ninety-degree angle during your workout. As you walk, your arms should swing naturally by your sides with your front arm never reaching higher than the chest and the hand of your back arm not going past the hip The arms should swing parallel to the ground. Also keep the fists loose and the shoulders relaxed.
“The hip roll has three components that must be fulfilled to execute the movement properly. 1) As your right heel steps out, push your right hip forward. 2) When the right heel strikes the ground allow the right hip to pull the body forward. 3) As the right foot rolls through the step from heel-to-toe, drop the right hip slightly. This action will drive your left hip forward, preparing you to step out with the left foot.”
Power walking seems perfect for many of us Gold Coasters who need to get in a little more — or at least a more focused — regimen of strenuous activity. Care to try?
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
