Always Make Your Walking Workout More Effective With These Simple Steps

Actual effects of exercise goes beyond 24hrs. It can last up to 48hrs afterward and improves our body’s ability to control blood sugar too, one of the many benefits.
When you’re active, your muscle cells become more sensitive to insulin, absorbing larger amounts of glucose. Over time, regular exercise can help you shed weight, which most of us aim to meet.  Regular walking is an incredible form of exercise.  A few tweaks to your form can mean a much better workout for your heart and muscles.  Here’s how to tweak and burn with every step you make during walking workout.

1.Roll through the ball of your foot
To get your calf and hamstring involved, roll through the ball of your foot and push off with your toes. Just like you’re trying to wipe a piece of gum off your sole, Iknoian suggests.

2.Stand tall
Keep your ears and shoulders directly above your hips to engage your core.  Standing up straight has other benefits, too. Checking your posture will instantly make you look younger and thinner, and it may even help you feel more energized.

3.Make a loose fist
Instead of your usual clenching of hands that just wastes energy that could be used to power your walk, loosen it up.

4.Keep your stride short
Longer steps lead to a bouncier gait, which can increase the risk of injury to your joints.

5.Own and wear a heart rate monitor
This helps you to keep at optimal intensity (about 75 percent of your max heart rate). “It can give you a nudge if you slow down,” says Therese Iknoian, author of Fitness Walking.

6.Pump your arms
Toronto coach Lee Scott, who trains clients to walk marathons advice that you should reach mid-breastbone height on the upswing and brush past your hips on the downswing.

7.Squeeze your butt
“Do this consciously to contract the big muscles in the back of your legs,” Scott recommends.

8.Monitor and Count your steps
Recent research shows that people who wear a pedometer are inspired to walk about 2,000 more steps per day. You can try apps like Pedometer++ and Accupedo that have the same inspiring effect.

9.Focus your eyes on the horizon
When your head is raised, your chest opens and you can take deeper breaths, says Mark Fenton, associate professor at Tufts University and author of The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness.