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A
health walk is a group of people who walk together on a regular basis
and led by a trained Health Walk Leader, who is normally a volunteer.
The
walks are aimed at those who are inactive, for whatever reason, and
last between 30 minutes and an hour. However, the watch word is do only
as much as you feel able, it is not a problem, and the Leaders are there
to help you.
During the walk you will be encouraged to walk
briskly. There are no pacemakers pushing the group, you choose your
own pace by walking at such a speed where you ‘puff a bit’
with the gauge being you continue to talk with the others who are walking.
So if you are ‘gasping’ and unable to talk the Leader will
encourage you to slow down.
At
the end of the walk we encourage walkers to socialise, therefore many
of our walks end where people can have a drink and a chat.
In short, a health walk is a group of people
who are doing regular activity.
Interested
then go to the ‘Where’
page to find out your nearest walk.
Any
questions please contact the Healthy Walking Manager via the Public
Forum or Contact pages
What
to do while walking
Footwear
It
is important to comfortable footwear. This is a ‘good fit’
providing the most cushioning to the heel and ball of the foot, this
is where the most pressure is put on the foot. The heel cup should be
firm and provide support as the heel contacts the ground. The footwear
needs to be flexible enough at the forefoot (front) to allow the front
of the foot and toes to bend and extend while pushing off from the ground.
REMEMBER - It is what is comfortable to YOU.
Arm
Action
While walking your arm swing should be natural and comfortable
for you. The forward swing should be relaxed and close to the side of
the body. Try not to let the swing cross the centre of the body.
Leg
Action
All individuals’ strides are different, try not
to match someone else’s stride, do not over stretch your stride,
and do what is comfortable for you.
Foot
Placement
At
each stride the heel of the foot touches the ground first with the front
of the foot and toes raised (this is called ‘dorsi-flexion’).
The front of the foot is then lowered with control to the ground, which
means the foot rolls from heel to toe, try and avoid heavy pounding
or slapping your feet down when you walk. Clearly the faster you bring
your rear leg forward the faster you will walk.
Talking
If
you are walking with some one else a very good way of regulating the
speed at which you walk is by talking. While it is good to pant a bit
it is not so good to be gasping for breath, so if you are breathing
so hard that you find it difficult to talk it is a sign to slow down.
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