A few months now. I did get into running but then I tore my hamstring and my fitness level went down with it.
I'm planning on walking to my dads work which is a longer walk but should give me enough time to recover before Muay thai classes. I plan leave home at 4:30 pm get at my dads work at around 5:00pm wait for an hour for my body to recover and then walk down to Muay thai (which should take about 10 minutes)
Thanks for the tips. I like the idea of timing myself. I might do that so I don't slack off and start strolling.
Anything that gets you moving is better than nothing. Especially if you're like me, and have an 8-9 hour a day desk job. MA practice helps, fitness programs help. One thing I would suggest is to consider walking as more than a half hour / one hour activity done once a day. Instead, incorporate it into your daily routine. That means do not park in the closest spot to the store, or to the office. Park somewhere further away, and walk the distance. If you feel like getting a pedometer, those can help with metrics. I'm trying to remember how many steps they recommend adding to your normal daily routine, something >1000.
There are some specific recommendations here. There are more refs to other studies here , but it doesn't give details about the studies. There are scores more sites but not so many that recommend it for weight-loss/aerobic function, more for moderate stress relief and cardiac health. All of them recommend altering your diet too. :google: Also, I have always walked and hiked a lot. I love it. I'm a beanpole. That must be evidence!
Hapuka - no, I suggest you do not walk with weights (wrist, ankle or free weights) as this can lead to bad form and cause unnecessary strain. 1. You're young, have been training and have had an injury set back 2. Brisk walking every day for a week would be a great way to kickstart your fitness routine. 3. Week 2 - on alternate days, intensify your walks by doing hills, walking on wet sand etc. What used to be part of your training regime (swimming, weights, running, circuit training etc.)...add one of these sessions back into Week 2. 3. Continue to build in Week 3, walk every day (alternate day increase intensity and time), 1 gym session + MA/swim/weights etc. Keep building on each week, whether its an extra 5-10 minute walk every day, or increasing your weights by 5 pounds every week...build on your results. I think the issue here is motivation rather than lack of fitness or inability to do exercise. Make working out a habit and enjoy it, plus good nutrition.
I would disagree that wrist weights would be heavy enough to mess anything up while walking, though I would generally tend to agree that wrist weights aren't that good for most things and can lead to injury. Ankle weights are a no-no too. As for free weights, while I wouldn't incorporate them into a walking programme (as in walking briskly 30 minutes to get to class or whatever) I certainly wouldn't discount them at all. There are two usefull exercises that spring to mind that are not only good for form but great for core strength, and good fat-burner too: farmer's walks and waiter's walks. If he is recovering from injury waiter's walks are not such a good idea but if someone shows him the right form farmer's walks would be ideal.
