WALKING ACTIVITY CARD

Walking means more thantransportation.

Gear UpShoes are the most important partof your walking gear. Good walkingshoes are generally flat, butflexible, so your foot rolls with eachstep. They should fit well, but leaveenough room for your feet tospread out while walking. Wearsocks that are comfortable. Trysocks made of cotton or othersweat-wicking materials—they willkeep your feet drier and helpprevent blisters. Running shoes areokay to use for walking. Don'tforget to trade in the old shoeswhen the treads start wearing out—which is about 500 miles. Whew!

Wear comfortable clothing whenwalking. Try to dress in layers, soyou can always take off somethingas you warm up. Layering with a t-shirt, sweatshirt, or windproofjacket is a good idea if it's windy orchilly outside.

Two other essentials: sunscreenand a hat. The sunscreen protectsyour skin from the sun. In thesummer, a hat keeps the sun out of your face, and inthe winter it helps to keep you warm by trapping theheat that is lost from the top of your head. A brightcolored hat will also make it easy for drivers to see andavoid you. Need to learn more about sun protection?

Upper & LowerLegs

Abs

Arms

Knees &Ankles

Hips & Butts

Parts ofthe BodyWorked

Lifetime Fitness Individual Physical Activity

Read here for more info! (/bam/safety/sun.html)

Play it SafeBefore you walk out the door, talk about the bestwalking routes with your parents so you know yoursafety zones and how to avoid traffic. And, only walk inthose areas so your parents will know where you are.

It's always best to walk where you can avoid traffic—like parks or even the mall! Or try to find an areawhere there are sidewalks. If you have to walk on astreet without sidewalks, walk close to the curb facingtraffic. Remember to cross the street only at markedcrosswalks or at corners, keep your ears and eyesopen, and watch out for traffic in front and back ofyou. Wear bright-colored clothing or reflectors sodrivers can see you. If you are walking alone, don'twear headphones—if they are too loud, they can keepyou from hearing any oncoming traffic.

Water, water, water. It's a good idea to drink somewater before you head out to walk, while you arewalking, and when you get back—even if it's coldoutside or you don't feel thirsty. In the summer, lateafternoons (not nights) and mornings are the besttimes to walk to avoid the midday heat and humidity.To find out more about staying cool, click here.(/bam/safety/cool.html)

It is best to warm up your muscles before stretchingthem. So warm up for 5 minutes at an easy walkingpace before stretching. Then stretch by starting at the

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top of your body and working your way down. Makesure to cool down and stretch after your walk too!

Remember—start out slowly and gradually increase thespeed and distance you walk—don't try walking amarathon your first time out! And no matter whereyou are walking, be aware of what is going on aroundyou.

How to PlayYou've probably been walking for about as long asyou've been talking. But walking isn't just a way to getfrom here to there, its also a great physical activity!Walking doesn't require a lot of equipment, you can doit anywhere, it is always available by just walking outyour front door, and it's a great way to relax andrefresh. It's also something you can do alone or withyour friends and family.

If you thought walking was just putting one foot infront of the other, you were right! But check out thesetips for how to walk and breathe correctly so your walkwill be safer and easier.

Posture. How you hold your body is important. Standup straight and tall. This means putting your shouldersback and relaxing them (no slouching!), and keepingyour chin up and stomach in. It's a good idea to look20 feet ahead—about the lengths of two cars. Thiskeeps your chin up and your eyes on your path!

Taking your first steps. Start out your first step withthe heel first. Then roll your foot from heel to toe andpush off the toes with the next step. Bringing theopposite leg forward, repeat this again. (This may feela little funny at first but as your muscles get stronger itgets easier.)

Arm motion. Moving or swinging your arms whenyou're walking can give you power and it balances whatyour legs are doing! Bend your elbow 90 degrees (soyour arm looks like the letter "L"), while keeping yourhands slightly curled. When you step, one foot movesforward and the arm opposite this foot should come

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forward too. As your foot goes back, bring back theopposite arm with it. Keep your elbows close to thebody so you don't have "chicken wings."

Don't forget to breathe! Your breathing should have arhythm. Inhale one deep breath for four steps and thenhold that breath for two steps. Then exhale to thecount of four steps, and hold it for two steps beforebeginning all over again. So the rhythm is — breathe in(step 1, 2, 3, 4), hold (step 1, 2) breathe out (step 1, 2,3, 4) hold (step 1, 2).

Everyone's stride is different, so if you feel that foursteps are too long or too short, adjust it to what iscomfortable for you.

OlogyWe don't give a second thought to walking andbreathing at the same time, but some ancientcreatures, and some that are still around (like lizards),can't do both at once. Lizards have to pause whenthey're running in order to take breaths.

Fun FactsIf you walk 6,000 steps each day, you will walk a mile!

Racewalking has been an Olympic sport since 1908. Itis the longest foot race (31 miles!) in the Olympics.

The distance to the sun is 93.5 million miles. If youwalk about 4 miles every hour (which is fairly fast) itwould take you 23.4 million hours, which is 974,000days or 2,670 years to reach the sun!

Related LinksStep Up Club(http://www.gerwc.com/stepupclub/) (http://www.cdc.gov/Other/disclaimer.html)

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1600 Clifton Rd. Atlanta, GA 30333, USA

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Page last reviewed: April 13, 2012Page last updated: April 13, 2012Content source: Division of Population Health, National Center forChronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

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