Those who engage in high intensity sports like
self-defense, running, fencing, dance or anything else love to push their
bodies to the limits in terms of cardiovascular exertion, flexibility, and
pace. There are times when simply augmenting a regular fitness routine with
walking is a benefit to both recovery as well as future growth. All bodies must
slow down for a short time to regenerate and prepare for better performance in
the near future. Walking is one way to stay active while still affording an
opportunity to continue conditioning for peak performance.
Let us assume that you had a rigorous week engaging
in one of your sporting routines. You pushed your body to the limit and you
have that achy feeling that lasts past 2 days, thirsty, and lethargic that may
indicate that you are over trained (1).
You will need some time to recover but don’t want to sit on the couch for days
on end. You may want to consider walking as an alternative until your body
recovers.
Besides recovery, walking can also improve
coordination, balance, health, weight loss, and bone strength (2).
Therefore, your time at rest is not really at rest but refocusing on different
aspects of your body. This is helpful in balancing your sports routine to
ensure that you are not overly redundant on a single movement or activity that
leads to injury.
Walking should be brisk, raise the heart rate, and
engaged in 3-4 times a week for 30-60 minutes. This allows for fill-in sports activities
as well as general improvement in health. Before starting one should buy proper
shoes and loose fitting clothing that help to avoid injury while still
maintaining a reasonable level of activity. Try walking on different types of
terrain such as a park or mountain to change intensity.
Another option for walking is to use it as a warm up
before engage in a more rigorous sporting activities. For example, before you play
basketball, tennis, fencing, self-defense or anything else that will require
high exertion you may want to walk for a half hour first to warm up the body,
stretch the legs, and reduce chances of injury.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General nearly half
the population doesn’t engage in any fitness routine or regular physical
activity so you should feel proud of your accomplishments (3).
This means that a great portion of
society is a risk for various types of diseases and ailments that may be
avoided. Proper eating and consistent fitness routines are important for
overall mental and physical health.
Your employer may also enjoy your activities that
can improve their bottom line. Regular fitness improved productivity $2,500 a
year while each $1 spent reduced medical costs by US $3.27 and absenteeism by US $2.73 (4). Walking
is a win-win for you, your employer, and your goals. Use walking as an
augmentation to other life and sporting activities.
