Latest news with #GaitHappens
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Wear a weighted vest, take a micro walk and head out in nature: 12 tips from walking influencers
Who doesn't love a good walk? It's accessible, it's free and it's great for your health. The mental and physical benefits of getting your steps in are impressive, but these days, walking is trendy too. Whether you're going for a 'Hot Girl Walk,' doing the 12-3-30 treadmill workout or trekking across your city, there's always a new way to make walking more exciting. That's something regular walkers know well. They keep fitness simple by focusing on getting moving, whether that's outside on a hiking trail, around their neighborhood or even on a walking pad. What can we learn from them? Read on for their best tips. Scarlett Longstreet, an influencer, writer and mom Zahrah, an influencer who explores the Scottish outdoors Mia Lind, founder of TikTok walking trend Hot Girl Walk Kiersten Brydie, fitness influencer Cecilia Romero, founder of San Francisco walking tour company Miss 7x7 Paul English, founder of walking app Steppin Milica McDowell, exercise physiologist and VP of operations at Gait Happens Kristina Turnure, fitness trainer and health coach April Medrano, master coach at STRIDE Jennifer Walsh, a Yahoo Life contributor, author and founder of Walk With Walsh Joyce Shulman, author of Why Walk? Kaleigh Ray, exercise physiologist at Treadmill Review Guru 'Walking has changed my life, and it's so easy on your joints. I wear a weighted vest to maximize the benefits of my walk. I started with 12 lbs. but now walk with 32 lbs. and shoot for an hour a day.' — Scarlett Longstreet 'If you have little ones and are looking for pockets of free time to get walking without them, I'd say outdoors is so much easier than parenting indoors! Just take them with you. It will hopefully tire them out! And remember, however many snacks you think are enough to pack for your wee ones — double it!' — Zahrah 'Use your Hot Girl Walk time wisely. I do gratitude practice, goal-setting and affirmations. I love a podcast and an audiobook, but I make sure I spend a good amount of my Hot Girl Walk time doing those three things. … It just gets me in the right headspace.' — Mia Lind 'Instead of meeting up for coffee, invite your friends, families or colleagues out for a walk. It could be a walking catch-up or a walking meeting. It's a great way to connect and keep the creative juices flowing — and it's free!' — Kiersten Brydie 'Curate your walk like an experience. Whether it's with friends, co-workers or solo, make it creative, fun and tailored to what you love. Try something new, like a walking tour, and go on a local adventure. Wander a new neighborhood, discover your next favorite cocktail bar or uncover the history behind local landmarks. Walking isn't just about steps, but an opportunity to connect with your community intentionally.' — Cecilia Romero 'Using a fitness tracker makes you accountable, tracks your process regularly and helps you incorporate walking into your daily routine. Start by setting realistic walking goals, and gradually increase the number of steps as you get fitter. Tailor notifications to avoid information overload and ensure you're only exposed to metrics that matter to you.' — Paul English 'I love a good micro walk; adding 500 to 1,000 steps can be a great way to interrupt sitting at work. A micro walk is a way to change your mood, reduce your blood pressure, improve circulation and enhance your gut motility. I've started encouraging my co-workers to do 'walk and talk' meetings where instead of sitting, we go for a walk either in our building or around the block. It's a great way to stack your habits and make a measurable impact on your health.' — Milica McDowell 'I focus on habits that keep me active throughout the day. I start my morning with a walk outside, habit-stacking by sipping my electrolytes and greens while listening to a personal development podcast or audiobook. It sets a productive tone for the day and gently prepares my body for more stimulating foods and movement. During the workday, I use a walking pad under my desk, which allows me to stay active during meetings.' — Kristina Turnure 'I prefer to walk in shoes that provide a good balance of comfort, support and durability, like well-cushioned running shoes or sturdy walking shoes with good arch support. The right pair makes a huge difference in how enjoyable and effortless the walk feels. Personally, my favorite shoes are the On Cloudstratus — they offer the perfect blend of cushion, stability and lightweight comfort.' — April Medrano 'Walking in nature-filled spaces like parks, forests, trails or even tree-lined streets can help us relax. When we walk without earbuds, we are tuned in to our bodies and our brains in those surroundings. The body and brain react very differently to manmade noises, such as honking horns and jackhammers vs. sounds of nature like birds. [The latter] can help us relax without us even realizing it.' — Jennifer Walsh 'If you are looking to get more fitness bang for your walking buck, one of the best things you can do is add intervals to your walk. Intervals are brief periods of higher effort followed by periods of recovery. For example, after a few minutes of warm-up, you raise the intensity for 30 to 60 seconds and then slow it back down, giving your body a minute or two to fully recover. You can achieve that higher intensity by increasing your walking speed, finding a hill or set of stairs to climb or even adding a brief jog. Intervals are incredibly effective at improving cardiovascular fitness, torching more calories in less time and firing up your metabolism.' — Joyce Shulman 'If your treadmill inclines, adding hills to your walks can keep you more engaged with your workout and get your heart rate higher while keeping the speed consistent. For walking pads and treadmills that don't have incline capabilities, consider using a [weighted] vest. You will want to check your treadmill's weight capacity to see how much weight you can use, but weighted walks are an excellent way to continue progressing your fitness level. Some walkers may also feel comfortable walking backward to add variety and intensity to their walks, but I only recommend this if you have good balance and decent treadmill handles to hold on to.' — Kaleigh Ray These quotes have been edited for length and clarity.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Wear a weighted vest, take a micro walk and head out in nature: 12 tips from walking influencers
Who doesn't love a good walk? It's accessible, it's free and it's great for your health. The mental and physical benefits of getting your steps in are impressive, but these days, walking is trendy too. Whether you're going for a 'Hot Girl Walk,' doing the 12-3-30 treadmill workout or trekking across your city, there's always a new way to make walking more exciting. That's something regular walkers know well. They keep fitness simple by focusing on getting moving, whether that's outside on a hiking trail, around their neighborhood or even on a walking pad. What can we learn from them? Read on for their best tips. Scarlett Longstreet, an influencer, writer and mom Zahrah, an influencer who explores the Scottish outdoors Mia Lind, founder of TikTok walking trend Hot Girl Walk Kiersten Brydie, fitness influencer Cecilia Romero, founder of San Francisco walking tour company Miss 7x7 Paul English, founder of walking app Steppin Milica McDowell, exercise physiologist and VP of operations at Gait Happens Kristina Turnure, fitness trainer and health coach April Medrano, master coach at STRIDE Jennifer Walsh, a Yahoo Life contributor, author and founder of Walk With Walsh Joyce Shulman, author of Why Walk? Kaleigh Ray, exercise physiologist at Treadmill Review Guru 'Walking has changed my life, and it's so easy on your joints. I wear a weighted vest to maximize the benefits of my walk. I started with 12 lbs. but now walk with 32 lbs. and shoot for an hour a day.' — Scarlett Longstreet 'If you have little ones and are looking for pockets of free time to get walking without them, I'd say outdoors is so much easier than parenting indoors! Just take them with you. It will hopefully tire them out! And remember, however many snacks you think are enough to pack for your wee ones — double it!' — Zahrah 'Use your Hot Girl Walk time wisely. I do gratitude practice, goal-setting and affirmations. I love a podcast and an audiobook, but I make sure I spend a good amount of my Hot Girl Walk time doing those three things. … It just gets me in the right headspace.' — Mia Lind 'Instead of meeting up for coffee, invite your friends, families or colleagues out for a walk. It could be a walking catch-up or a walking meeting. It's a great way to connect and keep the creative juices flowing — and it's free!' — Kiersten Brydie 'Curate your walk like an experience. Whether it's with friends, co-workers or solo, make it creative, fun and tailored to what you love. Try something new, like a walking tour, and go on a local adventure. Wander a new neighborhood, discover your next favorite cocktail bar or uncover the history behind local landmarks. Walking isn't just about steps, but an opportunity to connect with your community intentionally.' — Cecilia Romero 'Using a fitness tracker makes you accountable, tracks your process regularly and helps you incorporate walking into your daily routine. Start by setting realistic walking goals, and gradually increase the number of steps as you get fitter. Tailor notifications to avoid information overload and ensure you're only exposed to metrics that matter to you.' — Paul English 'I love a good micro walk; adding 500 to 1,000 steps can be a great way to interrupt sitting at work. A micro walk is a way to change your mood, reduce your blood pressure, improve circulation and enhance your gut motility. I've started encouraging my co-workers to do 'walk and talk' meetings where instead of sitting, we go for a walk either in our building or around the block. It's a great way to stack your habits and make a measurable impact on your health.' — Milica McDowell 'I focus on habits that keep me active throughout the day. I start my morning with a walk outside, habit-stacking by sipping my electrolytes and greens while listening to a personal development podcast or audiobook. It sets a productive tone for the day and gently prepares my body for more stimulating foods and movement. During the workday, I use a walking pad under my desk, which allows me to stay active during meetings.' — Kristina Turnure 'I prefer to walk in shoes that provide a good balance of comfort, support and durability, like well-cushioned running shoes or sturdy walking shoes with good arch support. The right pair makes a huge difference in how enjoyable and effortless the walk feels. Personally, my favorite shoes are the On Cloudstratus — they offer the perfect blend of cushion, stability and lightweight comfort.' — April Medrano 'Walking in nature-filled spaces like parks, forests, trails or even tree-lined streets can help us relax. When we walk without earbuds, we are tuned in to our bodies and our brains in those surroundings. The body and brain react very differently to manmade noises, such as honking horns and jackhammers vs. sounds of nature like birds. [The latter] can help us relax without us even realizing it.' — Jennifer Walsh 'If you are looking to get more fitness bang for your walking buck, one of the best things you can do is add intervals to your walk. Intervals are brief periods of higher effort followed by periods of recovery. For example, after a few minutes of warm-up, you raise the intensity for 30 to 60 seconds and then slow it back down, giving your body a minute or two to fully recover. You can achieve that higher intensity by increasing your walking speed, finding a hill or set of stairs to climb or even adding a brief jog. Intervals are incredibly effective at improving cardiovascular fitness, torching more calories in less time and firing up your metabolism.' — Joyce Shulman 'If your treadmill inclines, adding hills to your walks can keep you more engaged with your workout and get your heart rate higher while keeping the speed consistent. For walking pads and treadmills that don't have incline capabilities, consider using a [weighted] vest. You will want to check your treadmill's weight capacity to see how much weight you can use, but weighted walks are an excellent way to continue progressing your fitness level. Some walkers may also feel comfortable walking backward to add variety and intensity to their walks, but I only recommend this if you have good balance and decent treadmill handles to hold on to.' — Kaleigh Ray These quotes have been edited for length and clarity.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Walking is great for you. Taking a scenic walk? Even better.
It's hard to ignore the benefits of walking. Getting more steps in throughout your day can improve many health markers, including promoting better sleep, reducing blood pressure and lowering your risk of type 2 diabetes. These health wins happen whether you hit the pavement or the treadmill at the gym. But while it's great to sneak in steps wherever you can get them, there are additional benefits from taking a scenic walk out in nature. Whether you're hiking up a mountain or wandering through the woods, taking your walk outdoors — where you can enjoy the majesty of nature, whatever that looks like in your area — can help improve your mental health and leave you awe-inspired. Here's what to know. Exercise, in general, is important for our health — but spending time walking in nature goes beyond these basic benefits. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Walking in the great outdoors is more challenging than walking on a flat surface like pavement or a treadmill, Milica McDowell, an exercise physiologist and vice president of operations at Gait Happens, tells Yahoo Life. That's because it 'boosts your stabilizing muscle recruitment, your neuromuscular coordination, your movement planning skills and your muscle and cardiovascular endurance.' When we walk on a hiking trail, sand or a grassy path, it engages more muscles, improving our balance and coordination more effectively than walking on flat surfaces. And the harder we work, the higher our heart rate gets, which can strengthen our lungs and heart. Plus, 'being outdoors helps support our body's natural functions,' Michelle Jungmin Bang, the author of the upcoming book Sun & Ssukgat: The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness & Longevity, tells Yahoo Life. 'Evolutionarily speaking, we are programmed to be outdoors while the sun is shining and home in bed when it gets dark at night.' Getting sunlight in the mornings, for example — as you would on a sunrise stroll through the park — can help regulate your circadian rhythm. Your eyes can benefit from spending time outdoors too, Bang says. 'Studies also demonstrate that we should be outside at least two hours per day to offset myopia — the inability to clearly see far-sighted objects — by being able to see into the distance and being exposed to outdoor light,' she explains. Spending time outside also gives you the opportunity to stare at objects that are at least 20 feet in front of you, which can prevent eyestrain. That's something that can be challenging to do when you spend a lot of time inside or staring at a screen. Thanks to modern lifestyles that revolve around work, driving and screen time, the average American spends 93% of their time indoors, which means we are exposed to 'very little microbial diversity,' Bang says. But getting out in nature, she says, allows us to live 'a little dirtier,' which research says can benefit our immune systems. Interacting with the natural environment (dirt, germs, fresh air, etc.) helps us 'train our immune systems to respond appropriately,' she says. Spending time outside also encourages good bacteria to 'grow and flourish' in our bodies, she explains, which can improve our overall health. 'You're going to see things in different dimensions when you go outside,' Dr. Edward Phillips, associate professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School and host of the podcast Food, We Need to Talk, tells Yahoo Life. 'It's only when you look up and are standing under some enormous tree that you understand the majesty of it.' That feeling, Phillips says, is called 'awe' — and experiencing awe, research says, is great for your mental health. Doing so boosts happy chemicals like oxytocin and calms your nervous system, slowing your heart rate and reducing stress. Nature is uniquely good at putting us in that state. Psychotherapist Katie Asmus, the founder of the Somatic Nature Therapy Institute, tells Yahoo Life that the 'dynamic nature of nature' means 'our attention is more free to wander and to be caught by something novel, pleasing, surprising, awe-inducing or touching' than it would in a dense cityscape, where we have to navigate 'other people, traffic and loud noises.' Walking on a treadmill has physiological benefits, she notes, but it 'does not provide the same opportunity for relaxed attention.' Not only is there no scenery to observe, but also our focus is instead directed to screens, whether it's your smartphone or the row of TVs hanging overhead at your gym. Mindfulness is when we intentionally focus on the present moment, paying attention to our thoughts, feelings and surroundings without judgment. A scenic walk is an ideal way to practice mindfulness, as it allows us to immerse ourselves in the sights, sounds and smells of nature, Dr. Rita Gupta, a physician specializing in nature therapy, tells Yahoo Life. While walking in nature, we're able to focus on the 'feel of fresh air, the sounds of birdsong and the sight of trees and sky, [which] can be deeply grounding and emotionally uplifting,' she says. Phillips says that a walk in the woods grounds you by allowing you to 'smell the roses' — sometimes, literally. 'If you go into the woods, you can smell whatever it is that's going on, from the scents of animals to the trees,' he notes. Again, any type of walking is good for you, whether that's doing laps at the local mall or exploring a hiking trail. However, if you're seeking a way to improve your immune system, feel a sense of awe or stay more present in the moment, heading outside and taking the scenic route is the way to go.
