Issue #09: The Ultimate Walking Guide
Blog: And how to boost the benefits of walking with EMS!
We are meant to walk
Ever since from the beginning of time, humans were meant to walk.
We walked the land to gather and hunt for life. In today’s modern society we move less than ever before. This lack of movement paired with artificial food that is all the time available and just around the corner has led to serious health problems in modern societies.
Fortunately, everyone can make his own choices and change his behavior each day.
To jump-start your new health and fitness journey you can go outside every day, get some fresh air, and take a walk. Yes, a walk! Walking has some powerful health benefits that we often overlooked because of the low intensity of walking.
Walking is a physical activity that is not vigorous, with almost no impact on the joints, you need nearly no equipment and it can be done easily throughout the whole day whenever you want to.
A 2007 study of inactive women showed that even 75min of walking improved their fitness significantly compared to the group who performed extreme coach sitting.
And with even 30min a day of walking can reduce body fat.
But let’s dive deep into this and explore how walking can be a joyful and healthy activity for life and how you can boot the benefits of walking with the visionbody EMS Suit.
What we cover in this article:
Benefits of walking
How to walk with the right technique
Making walking more enjoyable
Walking strategies for fat loss
Benefits of walking
First of all the exposure to sunlight and fresh air is these days more important than ever and without any doubt or scientific research most beneficial for health.
We all probably know that walking is a great way that does your body good and not just the heart but also the muscles. Researches at the Mexico Highland University found that walking is also beneficial for your brain function by optimizing brain perfusion, function, and overall sense of well-being during exercises.
So next to…
…increased cardiovascular fitness,
improved management of hypertension, high cholesterol, joint/muscle pain stiffness, and diabetes,
stronger bones and improved balance,
increased endurance and
reduction of body fat…
…the brain also benefits from in the pressure waves from walking which increases the blood flow through the brain and makes it more efficient and functional.
EMS can give you an extra boost because while you are walking the Visionbody EMS suit stimulates both type 1 and type 2 muscle fibers. That gives you something that walking on its own can not deliver: Getting stronger! So EMS is the ultimate booster for walking because it fills the gap from endurance to strength and muscle growth.
Plus: You can cut your walking time from 30min down to 15-20minutes. Awesome for everybody with a time management problem.
Problem solved!
So, every time you have no more ideas left in your head, go out for a 5-10min walk. It helps!
How to walk with the right technique
There is no atomic science behind walking but there are 6 things you should check while you are walking:
Walking tall: Lift your torso and pull your shoulders back and sense your body “lengthening”.
Look-up: Your head weighs 4.5Kg so don’t look down. It could hurt your neck and upper traps which can lead to headaches.
Take smaller steps: Overstriding can lead to additional pressure on your joints.
Use your arms: Keep your elbows bent at 90 degrees and move your arms backward and forward.
Walk with control: Practice what you want to do. Be conscious of yourself and your body. Walk as you can!
Strike technique: Strike the ground heel first and roll through the step from heel to toe.
You see there are maybe some things you nevver heard of so take care about your posture and technique. It will help you feel better and reap all the health benefits from walking.
Making walking more enjoyable
We all know these days where we do not want to go out and do the things that have to be done for the sake of fitness…Most people call this lack of motivation. I call this lack of moving systems! Here are 4 moving systems that help you to overcome motivational issues and do the work:
Be part of a team: One finger alone breaks. A fist is made to break through things! It is super important to find a friend who is joining you on your walking journey. When you feel tired chances are smaller your companion feels the same. He can lift you when you are down and vice versa.
Set goals: Having no goal means no reason why to go out when times are tough. Set yourself a goal like 10.000Steps or 2-5Km a day. And go for it!
Switch surfaces: I live in Mallorca which is a fine place to walk every day outdoors. But when you live in Sweden it is tougher to walk outdoors all year long. And sometimes it is easier to walk and watch some tv show or documentary. If you feel bored switch to the treadmill and put the tv on!
Find a playlist/podcast: A good playlist/podcast can easily be found on Spotify or Apple music. But let me help you. The search finds an end right now with the Visionbody Walking Motivation Playlist on Apple Music. Thank me later… it’s hard to find a good playlist ;-)
A good friend of mine and I always go out and walk at 6 a.m. Any damn day. We are setting goals for each month. We never listen to playlists, but I would if I would run on my own. Because we are always talking while we are walking…;-) Walking combined with talking is a critical part of my stress and mental health detox program. It is unbelievable how a good walk and a good conversation make life feel way better.
Walking strategies for fat loss
Walking is first and foremost a great way to improve your health. Second, it can be used as a fat loss tool. But a very efficient one. Now that you got the routine, great technique, and an awesome playlist we can challenge your daily 30min dose of walking. Go like this:
Warm-Up: Easy and comfortable walking to break a sweat.
Interval 1: 60s fast pace walking followed by 60s easy walking for 10min total.
Interval 2: 40s fast pace walking followed by 20s easy walking for 10min total.
Cool-Down: Easy and comfortable walking.
You can also wear your visionbody suit while you are doing this Intervall. It will challenge you without walking faster or against a hill. This will relieve your joints and makes you come back tomorrow without pain. That is the most crucial part of training: Being fresh and come back every day.
In summary
Walking is a fun way to kick-start an active lifestyle! And to boost all the benefits of walking just add EMS Training. The best and easiest way is our Visinbody suit. I promise you, you won’t like to wear a cable device with you while walking or running…;-)
it looks crazy it feels the same. The suit fits perfectly under your sport dress and feels like a second skin.
If you have any questions I would like to read and answer them in the comment section!
All the best!
Johannes.