Sherman Oaks is known for mom-and-pop shops, tree-lined streets, Mulholland Drive, and its abundance of shopping. It’s also a great place to walk.
Walking for fitness is very popular and with good reason. It has several benefits that should make it a part of your regular fitness program. Walking helps control body weight and maintain muscle tone. It lowers your blood sugar levels and your overall risk for diabetes and heart disease. Walking utilizes core and abdominal muscles and helps maintain a healthy digestive system. Walking also helps maintain a positive attitude and promotes creativity.
If you haven’t been walking on a regular basis, a few tips might help you get started the right way. First, invest in good shoes. It’s seems like an obvious thing to do but there’s a lot of debate about what a good shoe is. Comfort and fit is super important. Make sure its snug but not too tight. You don’t want the heel slipping. Walk around in the shoes before you buy. Talk with your doctor about your arch. Do you need a special arch?
Next, warm up before you break out into a full speed walk. Walk at a normal pace for five minutes. Take it easy and work into your walk. Let your feet, knees, hips and torso get warmed up. No need to rush. Also, use good posture when you walk. Swing your arms while keeping your head up, back straight and your abdomen flat. Take long stride but don’t strain yourself. Walk briskly but comfortably. Be sure and carry water with you. It’s important to stay hydrated.
You may want to get a pedometer to track the distance you’ve walked. It’s motivating to see how far you’ve walked. It’s a good way to challenge yourself.
There’s a great tool for walking in Sherman Oaks. It’s a website called mapmywalk.com. Here is the Sherman Oaks link. Site users create walking routes and post them to the website. Distance and elevation are a part of the description of the walk. There are dozens of walking routes covering all areas of Sherman Oaks. Want a short walk? There’s a 1.28 mile walk around Millikan Middle School in Sherman Oaks. Want a long walk? There’s a 21-mile trek down Mulholland Drive to the Hollywood sign. Plan a walk to head down to The Harvest Bar on Ventura Boulevard for a super-food bowl. Or, plan a day out at the spa. Plan your walk to end up at the Casablanca Salon & Day Spa, also on Ventura Boulevard. It’s a full-service spa with facials, massages, body scrubs and waxing.
With mapmywalk.com you can use a map already loaded on the site or you can make your own walking route in Sherman Oaks and share it. Either way it’s a great tool to help you get into the habit of walking. Regular walks are a great way to stay fit and relax your mind. You’ll get to see a lot of Sherman Oaks at the same time.
