You could walk from California to New York and still not be fit.
Why?
Because walking by itself will never get you fit.
Walking can put undue stress on your back and knees.
It tightens your hamstrings and other leg muscles.
It can cause foot and ankle problems.
It does nothing to increase your upper body strength, and does very little to strengthen your abdominals.
It does very little to increase your agility, balance, and coordination and does little to increase your strength and muscle endurance.
Walking does not increase your cardiovascular conditioning as effectively as other exercises and it takes a lot of time to see results (whether they are fat loss or conditioning results).
There has been a walking craze.
It’s not expensive, needs no equipment except for a good pair of shoes, and doesn’t require a lot of effort.
However, in most cases you’re better off seeing walking as a leisure activity.
Walk for fun, not for fitness. Engage in your regular fitness program and use walking as a supplement.
If you do want to include walking in your exercise program make sure you do two things: walking fast enough to get your heart rate up in order to realize some physical benefits and make sure your walking technique is solid.
Yes, there is a proper walking technique, but that’s a topic for another article.
Walk on,
shelli
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