Edlin's Corner

I am lame today so instead of coming up with my own tips, I stole these from thewalkingsite.com. The following are tips on walking faster:

1. Use good posture. Walk tall, look forward, (not at the ground) gazing about 20 feet ahead. Your chin should be level and your head up.
2. Keep your chest raised, and shoulders relaxed (shoulders down, back and relaxed).
3. Bend your arms in slightly less than a 90 degree angle. Cup your hands gently. Swing arms front to back (not side to side - arms should not cross your body.) Do not swing elbows higher than your sternum (breast bone). Swing your arms faster and your feet will follow.
4. Tighten your abs and buttocks.. Flatten your back and tilt your pelvis slightly forward.
5. Pretend you are walking along a straight line. Resist the urge to elongate your steps. To go faster -- take smaller, faster steps.
6. Push off with your toes. Concentrate on landing on your heel, rolling through the step and pushing off with your toes. Use the natural spring of your calf muscles to propel you forward.
7. Breathe naturally. As you walk, take deep, rhythmic breaths, to get the maximum amount of oxygen through your system. Walk fast enough that your breathing is increased yet you are not out of breath

Oh and by the way, this type of walking is known as fitness walking...well, according to thewalkingsite.com

Edlin's Corner

Here are a few tips to have a successful walk. I have been doing the walk for awhile now and these are things that have helped me, and I KNOW they will help you!

• For starters we all know that we need to drink plenty of agua. Especially now that it is summer and it is finally hot and sunny outside. I love drinking water, but I am kinda picky about my water, I don't just drink it from anywhere and there are some brands of bottled water that I do not like AT ALL. So if you are picky like me I recommend buying a pitcher that filters water. Not only do you not spend so much on bottled water, but it will not taste yucky. You can bring your water in a cool looking water bottle like the Nalgene bottles in the picture. Mine was only like ten bucks.
• You might also be like me in that you get tired of drinking non flavorful water all the time, so what I do to spice things up is I bring lemonade to work. I also don't cheat my diet plan: I buy the non-sugary, non-Kool Aid stuff (if you aren't on a diet or don't care you can buy all the sugary juices you want. I'm not jealous). Crystal Light has some good choices and you can buy them in little packs that are the perfect serving for a 20 oz bottle. Country Time Strawberry Lemonade is also a good choice.
• Because it is sunny when you go on your walks (unless you work at six in the morning...wait is it sunny that early?...I'm not usually awake that early so I don't know how bright it is outside...) you will definitely have to wear some sunscreen. Depending on how tan you want to be this summer I would recommend a SPF of 30 or more. For your face the SPF should be higher.
• Along with wearing sunscreen it might also be a good idea to wear a hat or visor depending on your fashion choices. I won't judge.
• I also like to wear sunglasses when on my walks. Maybe I'm just a freak because I think that it is really bright outside after being indoors. Or maybe I just like to be fashionable. I bought these sunglasses at forever 21 for about six dollars (I know these are girly so for you guys I will consult with my husband then get back to you about where to find some cool shades.)
• Another important tip is to bring comfortable shoes to work. Because we have to dress up for work, I understand that you might not wear the most comfortable shoes to work, which is why you should bring an extra pair of shoes that you can use to walk your mile.
• You can do this walk with up to two other people or you can walk by yourself. It is really up to you. If you do decide to walk by yourself I would recommend bringing along you ipod or other music player. The ten minute walk is a good opportunity to be away from your desk and listen to some good tunes (and since you are alone you can totally sing out loud, who cares if people look at you funny, they don't know you...not yet anyway--this can be a great opportunity to practice for when you are a famous singer). I like a whole variety of music and my song choices depend on my mood, but a good song to listen to during your walk is Madonna's new single from her album Hard Candy "4 Minutes." It features the amazingly talented Justin Timberlake and Timbaland and the beat will definitely keep you walking fast (you might even start dancing--you have been warned). Coldplay's new single "Viva La Vida" is also a good choice.
• I was at RadioShack yesterday and noticed that they sell headphone splitters. With this nifty gadget you and a partner can listen to the ipod at the same time without having to do the awkward sharing of the headphones thing. I am not sure how well the splitter would work though, I mean I am short and most of my friends are tall so I don't know of comfortable it would be to share the ipod. Maybe the splitter helps though. Who knows. If someone tries it please let me know how it goes. I also think that it would be cool to walk the mile carrying a boom box, like the cool kids used to do in the late 80's, early 90's. And there is always a good chance that someone will bust out with some awesome break dance moves if a boom box is carried around. I'm just throwing that out there....

These are just a few of my tips for a successful walk. I am sure more will come soon. If you have any tips that have helped you, please please please let me know!! I would love to post your ideas and I will of course give you credit for your amazingness.

Everyone keep walking and don't let the summer heat bring you down!