WoW What's Up April 2023

Thankful for spring blossoms bringing a spring to our step.

View this email in your browser

Movement is joy. Spring blossoms are joy. A walk outside among spring blossoms is double joy! This spring walking joyfulness is something I have experienced and trusted to be true for decades. While I have not needed to read the science to confirm my personal experience, it is always thrilling as a coach to discover research that supports experience. Yesterday, I listened to a podcast featuring truly inspiring professor and author, Dr. Kelly McGonigal whose research endorses everything WoW Power Walking has encouraged over the past twenty years: walking distance events, walking speed intervals, walking outside, walking as group exercise. I am sure McGonigal's latest book, The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage will makes it way to my bedside reading pile very soon. Two facts jumped out at me during the podcast. First, she commented on the significance of "dose response" that aligns with my belief in the importance of incorporating speed intervals into walks. These intervals are not easy to do on one's own. When we do them in class, I notice people typically exceed their own expectations and that feels good. A second point relates to the power of moving TOGETHER to deepen human connection. According to McGonigal, "...the neurochemistry of movement helps us bond with others." When we move together our brains make chemicals that assist us with emotional connection. This can happen on a dance floor, and it can happen when we have fun doing walking drills together. There are so many gems of wisdom in this podcast, I highly recommend a listen. Perhaps we'll all be reading her book and discussing it while walking together!

CLASSES!

By virtue of a fun life event for Coach Lee at the beginning of June that can’t be missed, the next two sessions of walking, strength, and yoga classes will be just 3 weeks each. These 3-week sessions are a fabulous opportunity to dip your toe into a type of class you have never tried.
Outdoor Walk Workouts. During the walking classes in May and June, we’ll be taking time to focus on walking form. Good form helps you get more workout from your walk while lowering risk for injury and strengthening back muscles for good posture! Sign up soon!
Livestream Strength. Participants are getting noticeably stronger! Get stronger with us! Three early-morning (7am ET), 30-minute strength workouts using hand weights, resistance bands, and body weight are an energetic way to start the day from the comfort of your own home.
Livestream Yoga. Easy Flow, Breath & Meditation (9-(45am ET, Mondays), Sun Salutation Hatha (9-945am ET, Wednesdays), Gentle Hatha, Breath, & Meditation (9-9:45am ET, Fridays). Look for news in our next newsletter about a special June session: Three weeks, three days, three asanas.
PRICE ALERT: early bird pricing on the May session of strength and yoga livestream classes ends tonight!
Naturally Sweet Commitment. Our 42-day commitments are proving to be popular. We'll do it again at the end of summer and before Thanksgiving weekend: August 26 - October 6. No added sugars, no white flours, no juices, no alcohol. Thirty minutes of outdoor exercise every day and time-restricted eating in a window of 8-12 hours (fasting of 12-16 hours).

What is walking? As we head into spring race season with many race organizations offering walk divisions, it's a good time to review the differences between race walking, speed/power walking, and wunning! Race walking is an Olympic sport with two rules (bent knee, loss of contact) described by World Athletics (formerly IAAF): front landing leg must be straight at the knee upon heel strike and remain straight as the leg passes under the hip, one foot shall remain in contact with the ground at all times as visible to the human eye. Power, or speed, walking rules on the race course that offers a walk division tend to be less rigorous in their definition. Usually a common sense rule is applied in which the competitor must "appear to be walking" to fellow competitors and spectators. This translates into a gait in which one foot is on the ground at all times and there is minimal flexion, or bend, at the knee joint upon heel strike. It is most common for elite race walkers to be disqualified for being airborne. It is most common for amateur athletes to bend the knee at heel strike. Bent-knee action of front landing leg can easily transition into something commonly described as “wunning,” wherein exaggerated knee flexion on the front leg makes it appear that someone is running even as one foot remains on the ground at all times. A bending knee affords an advantage to speed by virtue of spring action that does not happen with a straight-leg, heel-strike landing. If you are entering a walk division in a road race, it may be helpful to have someone video you from the side as you are walking your fastest. Look for excessive knee bend and propulsion from this knee bend. To correct, focus on pulling the toes/forefoot up as high as possible as your heel strikes to maximize leg extension (i.e. straight-leg landing).

Shoulder stretch. Stand with your back to a waist high fence or railing. Place arms over railing/fence behind you and then slowly walk forward so arms pull behind and away from body. Keep palms facing each other. Keep spine tall in neutral position so that arms are not holding any tension…they are just relaxed on top of railing/fence in an extended range of motion. Remain in this position for 10-12 breath cycles. Repeat a second time.

Snap Workout. Easy walking for 5-10 minutes to warm up. Walk as fast as you can for 100 steps, skip for 10 steps, easy recovery walk for 80 steps. Repeat 12x. Easy walking for 5-10 minutes to cool down.

Words to Walk and Live By: Spring is when life's alive in everything. ~ Christina Rossetti, English poet