Introduction
If I had to choose one form of exercise, it would be walking. The multitude of benefits to body, mind and spirit work in synergy. No matter what your reason is in undertaking a walking program, you get all the other benefits. The only equipment required is a comfortable, supportive and well-fitting pair of shoes.
Walking can be done indoors and outdoors, alone or with family and friends, at whatever level of exertion is desired, and it is virtually injury free.
Though not many would argue that walking is good for you, to get maximum effectiveness out of your walking program, it is helpful to know the fundamental elements of any walking program.
This course will review the underlying principles considered in developing any fitness program and show you how to use these principles to best meet your own goals. You will learn how variables such as frequency, intensity and duration apply to walking and also about how to evaluate progress and set new goals. We will also review other aspects to consider such as finding the right shoes, being safe, and dealing with different kinds of weather and road conditions.
The key to any walking program, whatever your goal, is consistency. Many people come up against some sort of resistance regardless of his or her level of interest. Therefore, it is important to learn as many strategies to keep you motivated both in the long term and on a day to day basis.
Aside from learning, in more detail, about the many benefits of walking, it is crucial to develop an arsenal of "tricks" to get going. To that end, we place a major emphasis in this course on getting and staying motivated. A walking program can be a lifelong activity and expanded in numerous directions. How can you enlarge your walking program to include strength and flexibility training? What resources are available if you want to explore additional walking venues such as hiking, walking vacations, walking events or racewalking? How do you determine if you are improving your fitness level? These questions will be the focus of the final lesson.
Lessons
Click here to see course syllabus
