When it comes to cardio, most of you always choose walking! I see more check-ins for walking than any other form of cardio.

Here are some tips I have found to really Step Up my walking. With the right technique, you can get more benefit and efficiency from your walking!

Keep your core engaged!

Your core plays a huge role in walking. With each step, focus on bringing the navel in toward your spine. How many of you have heard me say that before? This helps to maintain balance and stability as well as relieving any pressure on the low back. To practice this, you can bring the navel in toward your spine and hold it for a few seconds, then release. Repeat this throughout your walk. Practice that mind-muscle connection of bracing the core and tightening the abdominal wall.

Step heel to toe!

Make sure you are hitting the ground with the heel first and then roll through to the front of your foot. Avoid any flat footed steps or walking toe first.

Focus on pushing off the rear leg!

This is easiest to accomplish if you take smaller strides. Longer strides can eventually put too much stress on your leg joints. Step forward, heel first, and focus on keeping the back foot on the ground longer giving yourself a good push off.

Notice your posture!

Good posture will help you take deeper breaths which may help you engage that core more easily. Take note of your shoulders and don’t allow them to roll forward. Retract the shoulder blades. What I have found to be most helpful when walking is to take note of any excessive anterior pelvic tilt. I like to walk with a little bit of a hip tuck which helps me to engage the glutes further allowing me to press through powerfully with each step. It limits that excessive curvature of the spine that so many of us have.