BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION-Go for a walk

 

Hello runner friends!
Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series
MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about how slowing down for a while can actually help you speed up. So if that last sentence has you saying, "What? No way! That's not possible," keep reading. I'm talking about walking.... you know that happy medium between doing nothing and running. It turns out that this activity many runners would deem too easy and unworthy of their time is the very thing that could not only improve their alignment and form but mentally motivate them to stay in the game when running has become mundane. 

So let's look at a few ways that using walking as cross-training can have you running your best race ever. 

1. Walking provides a great opportunity for you to slow down and think about your posture. And if you think posture isn't important, consider this... From the epidemiological studies it can be concluded that running injuries lead to a reduction of training or training cessation in about 90% of all injuries, about 45% of all injuries lead to medical consultation or medical treatment. In 75% of these, running injuries are due to constant repetition with incorrect positioning or posture. I don't know about you but as a runner who keeps getting injured, this was an eye opener for me and something I will be embracing from this point forward. Especially as I sit and write this while dealing with yet another lower leg issue. So embrace your walks. When strolling, think about keeping your shoulders directly over your hips, avoiding any arching or rounding of the back—like there’s a string pulling you tall from the top of your head. This may feel awkward at first but it will be worth it. And remember, as with any other habit you want to maintain, keep practicing this over and over until it becomes normal. 

2. Walking can help boost your core and arm strength if you do it with purpose. Hold your stomach in tightly as you meander through your workout. It may not seem like you're doing much but doing it for a long period of time is what counts. Similarly, mimic bicep and tricep curls as you walk. You may not have weights but the repetitions will add up. And want to add some fun into your saunter and really fire up those abdominal muscles? Add in knee-to-elbow crosses. As you step forward, bring your opposite hand behind your head with your elbow pointing out to the side. Rotate your abdomen and touch your elbow to your opposite knee. Doing these often will allow you to get in that ab workout you may not do otherwise. 

3. Walking can actually help you increase your endurance mentally and physically. So let's talk about the mental part. When using walking for a cross training exercise whether to give yourself a break or rehab an injury, the general rule to maintain current endurance is to take the number of minutes you would normally run and double it. For instance, if you normally run an hour each day, walk for two hours. Time spent on your feet, albeit slow, will prepare you mentally to run those longer periods of time or to saunter around an expo and sight-see the day before a big race knowing that you have the stamina. And by adding in another hour or even another workout into your day, you can actually build endurance with lower impact and chance of injury or re-injury. 

4. Walking can give you a break from the monotony of training. Let's face it. Doing one thing all the time can be tough. The constant fight with yourself to (a) do it and (b) do it as well as you did the day or the week before, can be relentless and exhausting. I have seen so many runners burnout this way and lose all motivation! But by including walking in your regime, you’re giving yourself a break from a monotonous routine and taking the pressure off physically and, more importantly, mentally. Want even more bang for your buck on throwing in a workout that will break up your training monotony and recharge your passion to train? Get outside! In fact, get outside and go somewhere new and maybe even at a new time you've never gotten out before. Not a morning person? Get out and soak up a sunrise once in a while. The same goes for you early birds. Trade a few sunrise walks for sunset ones. Ditch the headphones and experience nature. There's nothing quite like breathing in fresh air and seeing new things that can give a person a fresh perspective. 

So there you have it friends... those are some great reasons to get out and walk a bit. Still not convinced? Check out a few quotes about the mental, physical, and emotional benefits of walking. 

Happy Running!!! And walking!

After a day’s walk, everything has twice its usual value. - George Macauley Trevelyan

An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day. - Henry David Thoreau

As you walk down the fairway of life, you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round. - Ben Hogan

Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time. - Steven Wright

In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks. - John Muir

Walking is a technique of solitude, away into reverie. The walker is not a sleepwalker but a daydreamer. -Deirdre Heddon

Walking is the favorite sport of the good and wise. - A. L. Rowse

All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking. - Friedrich Nietzsche

Walking is man’s best medicine. - Hippocrates

I love walking because it clears your mind, enriches the soul, takes away stress, and opens up your eyes to a whole new world. - Claudette Dudley

Walking brings me back to myself. – Laurette Mortimer

A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world. - Paul Dudley White

If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk. - Raymong Inmon