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Keep Up The Walk

Mala Bhargava Nov 08, 2014

Can’t think of what exercise will bring your weight down and keep you fit? Go walking. It’s a whole-body exercise, and if you walk briskly for a good 45 minutes, you’ll get a worthwhile workout as long as you stick to it three to four times a week. But then, summer gets in the way. And perhaps even the monsoon. Our favourite parks turn to slush and the danger of slipping becomes very real, that’s if we’re able to move at all. In fact, you might even say that there are a mere three or four months when one can walk or jog happily in most parts of the country. You could always swim, but unless you have a heated pool and some sunlight protection, it can’t be your year-round exercise either. One option: you could walk at home. But walking on a treadmill can get boring. Also, poorly made treadmills can cause injury, and the good ones cost the earth. Of course you could go to the gym. Or you couldn’t, because you are too lazy to. An interesting walk-at-home option is to pick up a guided walk DVD and use that any time you can’t do the real thing. Indoor walk-ing, interestingly, needs little space. Just where you’re standing and a couple of feet all around. Walking instructor Leslie Sansone, for example, has dozens of walking programmes on DVD, available for an average of $10. Typically, the programmes have four basic moves that anyone can do: knee lifts, kicks, step-togethers and kick-backs. Then there are minor squats, lunges and plies, interspersed with walking in short intervals. And before you know it, half an hour is up and you’ve covered the miles the programme says you have — anything from 1 to 5. The more difficult programmes involve resistance bands or light weights. These are particularly nice because you can start off without the props and add them when you want to step up the challenge. There are also easier walks for older people and for those with specific problems. Some walks include jogging for a better cardio workout. Some are designed for weight loss, and some for general fitness. In her DVDs, Sansone keeps talking to motivate you; something you will just have to get accustomed to as there’s no music-only option. Sansone is a prolific instructor, but there are several others, such as Denise Austin.  As protection, make sure your movements are cushioned. Good shoes, and perhaps on a wooden floor or a folded-over yoga mat will help protect your knees. (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 20-08-2012)

Mala Bhargava

BW Reporters Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.