Archived here are the week 2 posts from the 2019 Walktober Challenge!
Day 6: A BEAUTIFUL fall day! Hunter and I took advantage and walked in the Minnesota River Nature Refuge. Hours of nature and miles of walking, and we saw footprints of fellow nature walkers! I hope you enjoyed your outdoor walk today!
Day 7: Falling forward, pushing back. Do you have glute amnesia - otherwise known as a weak butt? You may be missing the best backside exercise there is - walking! There's many types of walking, though, and not all are making optimal use of your derriere. Here I am demonstrating (exaggerated, yes) anterior gait and posterior gait. The first uses the front hip flexors to draw the leg forward, and then I fall on it. The second uses my standing leg to push me forward. So pushing, or falling? Think about it on your walk today.
Day 8: The first step toward a posterior driven stride is relieving some for eh tension in the front of the hips. our hips spend a lot of time flexed (think sitting) and we need extension to get those buns cooking! Using a bolster, cushion, blankets, yoga block, etc, elevate the pelvis a bit and position so that gravity rolls your waistline toward the floor a bit. Then you just get wicked relaxed and stay there as long as you like. The hips will find some extension and you may find some calm. Win win!
Day 9: Along with hip flexor tightness, quadriceps (thigh muscle) tension can prevent your leg from accessing the juicy glute activation of posterior gait. There's lots of ways to stretch your thighs, but this is one of my favorites. It's a couple folded blankets or towels, and you position your hip bones on the stack so the pelvis tips tail toward the floor. As you grab you grab your leg, watch out for rising booty! If you can't reach your foot, use a scarf or belt around your ankle to help out. And be sure to take your sassy hips out walking after!
Day 10: We've been loving on the front of the leg, but hamstrings need love too! This, along with the calf stretch we learned last week, optimizes the length of the muscles on the back of the leg so walking can be even more terrific. A few pointers: 1. Keep both legs straight 2. Keep your bottom thigh touching the ground 3. Place the strap at the front of your foot and really flex your foot 4. Allow the strap to hold the weight of the leg so the muscles can relax. Followed by a walk, of course!
Day 11: A cold and windy day on my walk! And today we're practicing standing on one leg. Why? Because walking and running are just a series of single leg balances, and what you observe as you balance on one foot is very likely happening when you take a step. Ankle wobbly? Duck foot? Hips wandering around? Knee bent? Try holding your one legged balance for a minute each side - it will increase your balance AND your strength!
Day 12: How did your one leg balance go? Things are about to get moving! When we walk we need to not only balance on one leg but that standing hip must also be strong enough to hold both sides of the pelvis. If not our hip squirts out to the side and we get 'sexy walk'. While that might look good on the catwalk, we really benefit from hips strong enough to carry us around without wear and tear. A few tips: 1. Keep both knees straight throughout 2. Feet facing forward 3. Once you've practiced on the ground you can raise it up for an even greater range of motion (unless you've had a hip replacement) 4. Did I mention keep both knees straight? Seriously. Straight. And then notice how strong your hips feel on your walk!