This Simple Japanese Walking Trick Could Help You Live Longer<\/a><\/p>\n\tBackwards Walking<\/p>\n
\u201cThe act of backward walking requires more attentional resources as well as increased coordination and balance than forward walking. Additionally, when individuals walk backward, the processing demands on the brain increase as the brain is required to interpret movement patterns differently,\u201d Dr. Zakhary points out.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how to do it:<\/p>\n
\n- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your core engaged.<\/li>\n
- Step one foot straight back, landing on the ball of your foot before lowering your heel.<\/li>\n
- Shift your body weight onto your back foot.<\/li>\n
- Step the opposite foot back, and continue to alternate.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
5 Short Workouts That Keep You Stronger Than Most 30-Year-Olds After 50<\/a><\/p>\n\tDual-Task Walking<\/p>\n
\u00a06254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e<\/p>\n
When you perform an additional task while walking, there are substantial executive function processing demands on the brain.<\/p>\n
\u201cExecutive function is often described as involving \u2018thinking\u2019 versus automatic processes. Research has demonstrated that dual-tasking during walking can improve cognitive processing speed over time, indicating improved performance across multiple tasks,\u201d Dr. Zakhary tells us.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how to do it:<\/p>\n
\n- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.<\/li>\n
- Start to walk at a comfortable speed in a clear path.<\/li>\n
- While walking, perform a secondary task. Examples include naming animals as you walk or reciting numbers backward.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
10 Daily Habits That Can Add 10 Years to Your Life, According to a Biohacker<\/a><\/p>\n\tUneven Surface Walking<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Uneven surface walking can be completed on surfaces such as the beach, dirt trails, gravel, and grassy areas. Make sure the surface is completely stable and free of obstacles.<\/p>\n
\u201cUneven surface walking engages additional neural networks compared to walking on smooth flat surfaces such as sidewalks. In particular, uneven-surface walking places greater emphasis on proprioceptive processing, where individuals use their senses to determine their position and orientation in space,\u201d Dr. Zakhary says.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how to do it:<\/p>\n
\n- Choose a safe, uneven surface to walk on.<\/li>\n
- Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart, and brace your core.<\/li>\n
- Start to walk at a slow, comfortable pace.<\/li>\n
- Keep your gaze ahead rather than looking down at your feet.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
If Your Body Can Handle These 6 Tests, You\u2019re Aging Like a Pro<\/a><\/p>\n\tDirection Change Walking<\/p>\n
This exercise involves turning into a figure-eight pattern, making gentle turns as you walk and incorporating side-stepping motions.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of these direction changes require enhanced agility and spatial awareness, which are critical components of successful navigation through complex environments,\u201d Dr. Zakhary explains.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s how to do it:<\/p>\n
\n- Begin by setting up two markers, roughly 6 to 10 feet apart.<\/li>\n
- Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart, and brace your core.<\/li>\n
- Start to walk at a comfortable pace in a figure-eight pattern around the markers.<\/li>\n
- Make sure to make smooth, controlled turns as you follow the pattern.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n
\t\tAlexa is a freelance writer, editor, and content strategist based in Greenwich, CT. She has 11+ years of experience covering wellness, fitness, food, travel, lifestyle, and home.\t\t\t\t\tRead more about Alexa <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Walking can keep your brain happy and healthy as you age. When older adults want to sharpen their…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1107353,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[4322],"tags":[1152,1630,105,189336,16,15,5182,19896],"class_list":["post-1107352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-aging","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-over-60","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-walking","tag-workouts"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1107352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1107352"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1107352\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1107353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1107352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1107352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1107352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}