Form.—Many walkers fail to derive entire benefit from their exercise because they walk badly. The head should be up, shoulders erect, chest forward, so that there is plenty of room for deep breathing. How many walkers fail to breathe deeply and gloriously! How many walkers gasp for breath and puff and plod along the way! Then the arms often are allowed to swing too violently, thus wasting a lot of energy. Watch your arms; don’t let them imitate pump handles. Let them move freely but gently. The legs, of course, are kept straight; the foot should be put down so that the toe and ball of foot are on the ground a fraction of a second before the heel. Be careful that you don’t come thundering down on your heels or come down with the whole foot flat.
Clothing.—The importance of clothing is often disregarded, for the most part through thoughtlessness. The shoes worn should be comfortable—low-heeled, broad toes, a medium rubber or leather sole. The skirt should be short enough and wide enough to allow perfect freedom of stride. The clothing around the body should be loose enough to allow free play of the muscles and ample chest expansion. Dress warmly, but do not start with so much clothing that you will soon become overheated.
Tramps or Hikes.
One of the most enjoyable forms of walking is a weekly series of tramps or hikes. This is an extremely beneficial form of outdoor exercise for a school or a club to indulge in. Everybody can join in. A leader should be appointed or elected and a committee chosen to arrange a schedule of tramps. Start out with an objective point of local or historical interest that will make a walk of not more than four or five miles for the first attempt. The distance can be gradually increased as the walkers become accustomed until finally they can take all day trips. Such a day spent by a jolly group of girls gives not only valuable physical development but also combines exercise with social enjoyment.
Good advice to the walker is: Breathe deeply; walk briskly; take a walk as often and as regularly as possible although it may be but a short one.
Competitive Walking.
Competitive walking may be for distance—greatest distance in a set time; or for time—fastest time for a set distance. As in all competitive sports, competitive walking should be watched for over-exertion, nerve strain and exhaustion. In the walk the arms are bent; one foot must be on the ground when other is off or the official will call a foul for running. The form is called the “heel and toe” walk, the heel of one foot leaving the ground as the toe of other foot comes down.
The rules for walking are very similar to those of running or sprinting. The competitor must start from behind a starting line, at a given signal, usually a gun. The distance of the race is measured and there is either a tape to be breasted or a finish line on the track to be crossed. False starts are penalized as in track (Page 65). Two fouls making the offender liable to disqualification are: running, i. e., having both feet off the ground at the same time; interfering with or impeding another competitor.
A hike in the open is one of the best ways for a group of girls to spend a day. These girls are not hampered by cumbersome clothes—doubtless they are all enjoying themselves and learning the wonders of nature.