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Walking is a great form of exercise. Running may be very popular because of its high profile, but I believe the benefits to be gained from walking are just as good as or even better than those offered by running. Walking exercises the person at three different levels: physically, mentally, and spiritually. If you have your doubts take a nice five mile walk today!

There are two main styles of walking, namely power walking and casual walking. Both methods can be effective dependent of course on your concept and plan of success.

Power walking, also known as speed walking, is the use of vigorous and brisk movements of the arms and feet to propel the body in much the same way as a runner doing sprints or speed work. This type of walking attacks the body at three points simultaneously. It impacts the thigh and calf muscles as they work to keep your body in balance and to withstand the stress of the rapid contact with the surface suspension coils! It impacts the arms' power swing to propel the body forward in quick time crank shafts! It impacts the back and chest which have to be kept erect in order to allow unrestricted flow of oxygen through the system.

Power walking focuses more on burning carbs quickly and fats slowly [it's a sort of progression]; it is also a good way to harden your calf and thigh muscles. As long as you power walk using the proper posture (back upright) it should improve your breathing and blood circulation. The best results using the power walking technique is over gentle hills.

Jogging can be compared to this style of walking. The most glaring differences are that jogging put more strain on the joints and sinews of the leg because you must lift your feet off the ground and then slam it down a gain in order to maintain your balance when running. Jogging burns up our energy faster, but does not allow the body to readily attack the "fat storage" in our bodies. Thus we appear to get tired much faster when we run!

Casual walking is also known as leisure walking. It is basically taking a long stroll without trying to involve any vigorous behavior. I know that many health gurus and enthusiasts scoff at the exercise value such a style of walking may offer, but I would simply say it satisfies its purpose. Casual walking must be done over long distances in order to be effective. I recommend casual walking for persons with heart aliments, beginners [lacking esteem or motivation], and old people if you keep moving your must be exercising something.

The casual walk allows the body to re-synergise. It creates an opportunity for the body and mind to eliminate the stressors that were producing negative energy signals to the brain thus by extension the body. It thus causes one to slow down a very rapid heart rate; to calm those twitching nerves; and listless legs. Casual walks are succinctly better than no walks at all; and are most effective when done along the beach, through a park or on a mountain trail. Just keep your back erect and your breathing under control when doing this excellent cardiovascular exercise.

"Chipping" or the half walk half run technique is the runners' version of casual walking. The only difference is that chipping is a stop start method, which puts a lot of strain on the legs but tends to ignore the upper body. The upper body for the most part is kept very still whilst the legs move, making it difficult to breathe properly. Chipping should be done in short burst or as a warm down strategy to the more energetic jogging workout.

Learn more about this author, Ry Moore.
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