Walk-Shuffle-Walk

So you're out the door and beginning to walk on a regular basis.  How's it going?  Would you like to increase how far you can walk, and more importantly, would you like to feel even better (and less tired and sore) when you're done?

Jeff Galloway has discovered the secret to not only feeling better after you walk (or run), but also staying injury-free AND even going faster!  The concept is mind blowing, but it's been proven to work time and time again.

The secret is taking shuffle breaks during your walk.  I must admit that even after reading Jeff's book on walking, I was unsure what he meant by "shuffle break", so at a recent clinic of his that I attended, I asked him to demonstrate a shuffle break.  This is what a shuffle break is:

As with Jeff Galloway's run-walk-run strategy, he recommends taking shuffle breaks from the very beginning of your walk and not waiting until you get tired to start the breaks.  

There are tremendous physical benefits to taking shuffle breaks in your walking, but if you're like me and working on speed with your walks, there are mental benefits as well.  As I'm pushing myself with my power walking, I can look at my timer and tell myself, "Okay, just 2 more minutes at this pace, and then I can slow down."  Then, after my 30 second slow-down, I'm rejuvenated enough to push the pace again.  

I've tried this method, and am amazed at the difference it makes.  I knew how helpful his run-walk-run strategy was when I was a runner, but I can tell you that his walk-shuffle-walk strategy is just as effective for walking!

I highly recommend Jeff's interval timer to keep track of your shuffle breaks.  You can purchase it from his website at Jeff Galloway's Run Walk Timer. Jeff has referred to the timer as "The Little Green Coach", and that's exactly what it is.  You can set the timer for any combination you would like.  You can set it to beep or vibrate or both to alert you when it's time for a shuffle break.  It runs on an AAA battery which lasts for a very long time.