Correct Way To Walk And Jog

Walking and jogging are one of the best exercises that provide numerous health benefits, such as building muscle strength, aiding weight loss, and improving posture. Both exercises are highly constructive but entail different body techniques. Jogging requires greater speed and power and is considered more intense; whereas, walking requires less effort and less speed.

Whether you are new to walking or jogging or have been doing it for a long time, it is essential to know the fundamental technique to walk or jog correctly to ensure that you make the most out of it. Ultimately, you will be able to improve your consistency level, speed, posture, and time once you practice.

Getting Started

Warming Up

One of the core elements of walking or jogging is to warm up and prepare your body for the walking or jogging session. The best way to do this is by going on a five-minute walk and finish off with a few stretches.

Walking And Jogging Guide For Beginners

Once you are done with your warm-up, jog for a short distance and take a walking break.  This technique works best for beginners who want to increase their stamina and build strength to jog steadily for long distances. For instance, you could use your own ratio like 2:8, which means you jog for 2 minutes and walk for 8 minutes. Continue to repeat this pattern until you have finished your goal or time. For instance, if you want to walk for 30 minutes, you can complete three cycles of this ratio.

Tips For Walking Correctly

Hold Your Head Up High

You need to start walking by keeping your head parallel to the ground. Your ears should be perfectly aligned over your shoulders. Keep your eyes looking forward and focus on the ground ahead of you. By keeping your head up high, you improve your overall posture as it puts less strain on the neck.

Lengthen The Back

Make sure that you don’t lean forward, slouch, or hunch while walking, as it could cause stress on the spine. Focus on elongating your back by keeping it straight and firm. Don’t lean too forward or too backward; keep it centered and upright.

Don’t Lift Your Shoulders

Your shoulders play an important role in maintaining your walking technique and posture. If you keep your shoulders hunched forward, upward, or tensed, it can cause the joints and muscles in the back, neck, and shoulders to tense and sore. To ensure correct posture for shoulders, raise them up high like when you shrug and let them fall back to their normal position. Don’t try to tense up your shoulders by slouching or bringing them up towards your ears. You can try doing occasional shoulder shrugs while walking to ensure that you remain comfortable and relaxed.

Engage Your Core

The muscles in your core also play a key role while walking as they help to make you move easily. Focus on engaging and tightening your core muscles as you take each step and pull your stomach in towards your spine. This way, you will be able to maintain stability and balance. Plus, it also relieves pressure and stress on your back while walking.

Swing Your Arms

Try to swing your arms back and forth gently as you walk. However, don’t swing your arms up too high or around your chest, and don’t swing them across your body.

Heel to Toe

To maintain a steady gait, strike the ground with your heel first and then roll all the way to your toe. This will help your body move forward. Try to avoid stepping flat on the ground or putting your toe first.

Tips For Jogging Correctly

Footwork

When jogging, your feet go through a proper cycle. The heel-to-toe rule applies to jogging as well. Your heel should hit the ground before the toe to help jog gracefully for longer periods.

Body Posture

The results, energy, pace, and power all depend on maintaining a proper body posture while jogging. Incorrect posture can cause muscles to strain and can leave you feeling more tired at the end. Keep your back straight while jogging. Don’t lean forward, as it will add more weight and make you feel exhausted.

Head And Shoulders

The whole body, including the head and shoulders, should be relaxed and loose so that your energy is not wasted in keeping them firm. The shoulder should not feel any sort of tension while jogging, and the head should face straight, not downwards.

Hips And Torso

Keep your torso straight and stretched out to increase speed and use less energy. Your hips should also be properly aligned to avoid lower back pain. It is essential to align your head and torso to maintain proper posture for the hips.

Legs

The legs are the central most important area of concern while jogging. Don’t lift up your knees too high as it will lower your pace. Keep them low to jog faster and smoother. The legs require a lot of energy to lift, so make sure you do a few leg stretches before starting your jog. Avoid rotating your ankles while jogging as it could result in an injury or strain.

Arms

Your elbows should be bent at a 90-degree angle, and your arms should swing backward and forward simultaneously on the side to keep your entire body straight and aligned. Moving your arms back and forth swiftly in alignment with your legs also helps to increase speed.

Conclusion

Walking and jogging provide vast benefits to the body, but only if they are done correctly. The most important step before walking or jogging is a five-minute warm-up session to prepare your body. By learning how to walk or jog correctly, you will also reduce the chances of getting injured or over exhausted.