What benefit does moving your arms, pumping opposition, have when power walking?
Moving your arms, pumping in opposition, while power walking can have several benefits:
1) Increased calorie burning: Pumping your arms vigorously while power walking increases the overall intensity of the exercise. This helps to elevate your heart rate, burn more calories, and enhance the overall effectiveness of your workout.
2) Full-body workout: Power walking with proper arm motion engages the muscles of your upper body, including the shoulders, biceps, triceps, and upper back. This ensures a more balanced and efficient workout, as it involves the entire body rather than just the lower body.
3) Improved balance and coordination: Incorporating arm movements while power walking helps improve balance and coordination. By swinging the opposite arm with each leg stride, you maintain a natural rhythm and coordination, making your walking more fluid and balanced.
4) Enhanced cardiovascular benefits: The pumping action of your arms while power walking increases blood flow, which helps deliver oxygen and nutrients more efficiently to your muscles. This improved circulation can have positive cardiovascular effects, increasing your endurance and overall cardiovascular fitness.
5) Reduced stress on joints: Proper arm motion while power walking helps to reduce the stress on your lower body joints, such as hips, knees, and ankles. The swinging motion of your arms can help absorb some of the impact and distribute the forces more evenly, minimizing the strain on your legs.
6) Increased speed: Engaging your arms and pumping them in opposition to your leg movements can help boost your speed while power walking. The additional propelling force generated by your arms increases your overall momentum, allowing you to move faster.
It is important to note that maintaining proper form and technique while power walking, including the correct arm movements, is essential to maximize the benefits and prevent any potential injury.