Welcome to Power Walking
We are pleased to offer a weekly Power Walking session as an option on our Thursday evening session. Power walking is a great way to exercise and delivers many real benefits. If you are wanting to improve your fitness with like-minded folks – please come along and give this a go!
Power walking is raises your heart rate and is aimed at those who want a cardio-based workout without the impact on joints.
What IS Power Walking?
Essentially, power walking is walking briskly and using your arms to help you maintain that pace throughout the session. It’s not a stroll in the park!
- Stand tall and try to maintain that good, upright posture as you walk
- Bend your arms and as you walk, pump them to help you walk faster Where your arms go, your legs will follow
- As your fitness improves, increase exercise intensity by adding in further challenges such as carrying wrist or ankle weights; performing short speed intervals and/or strength training exercises.
Pace – Will I be Too Slow (or Too Fast)?
Our Power Walking group usually covers about 3.5 miles in an hour. Faster or fitter walkers have plenty of opportunities (and encouragement!) to walk further, and to increase the intensity of the exercise and nobody will get left behind!
Tip: if you tend to walk faster than those around you, try walking tall and raising your feet as you walk (as though you are stepping over tall, wet grass). You will recruit and strengthen a slightly different muscle set compared to when you walk ‘normally’ – and you’ll certainly have to work harder to keep up.
What’s so good about it?
The sessions are led by Run Leaders who are experienced in organising activity groups safely and in encouraging good technique. We encourage walkers and runners to support each other so there is a strong sense of camaraderie and teamwork. Then there’s the bonus of getting out in the fresh air with the prospect of some friendly like-minded company.
Whether you are new to fitness walking, a lapsed runner returning from injury, or someone who just wants a safe, cardio workout that gets you outside and in company – you’ll be very welcome.
How do I get involved?
Anyone interested is welcome to come along and give this a try. You’ll need to be wearing running or lightweight walking shoes and suitable activewear. The walking group sets off at 7.00pm on a Thursday from outside Lymm Leisure Centre (whatever the weather!) and we aim to return at 8pm.
Do I need to join Lymm Runners?
You don’t need to be a member of Lymm Runners to give this a go. As with all our sessions, we invite you to come along and try it for a few sessions without any obligation. If you enjoy it and want to continue then we require you take out annual membership. But at £20 for an entire year, our membership fee remains an absolute bargain.
And who knows? After a few months of power walking, we might be able to tempt some of you to join us on a gentle run session too!
If you require further information about the power walking group, please email powerwalkers@lymmrunners.org.uk
