PARENTING – ONE AIM BUT MANY WAYS

Parenting is considered the most important job in the world! Parents anchor children's lives and lay the foundations of relationships, attitudes, and behaviour patterns. How carefully they navigate through the rough waters of childhood and adolescence determines how smoothly the child will thrive in adulthood. The way a child is cared for and nurtured has a significant impact on their general well-being. Parents should listen to their children, show them affection, and discipline them constructively.

Our children are now grown up adults and though we enjoyed their childhood to the maximum, only photographs and videos are now left in our empty nest to remind us of those good days gone by! In one of my previous blogs I told you about a patient of mine, who is a child psychologist and who offered me some golden nuggets about child psychology. If you missed it then here it is for you: https://surajitbrainwaves.blogspot.com/2024/06/child-psychology-i-never-knew.html

This blog is a result of a very long and leisurely evening spent with her after her surgery, and after listening to her views, I am not really sure what type of a parent we were!

 

Futility of scolding

The most important thing for a parent is their relationship with their children. It is that pause one takes before reacting and the thought they put into treating their child with compassion and empathy. Scolding might take the heat off your own head, but the impact it will have on the young impressionable mind is lifelong. Scolding also underlines that the parent has limited control over his/her emotions, and they use verbal aggression to deal with this disrupted emotional state. So, in a way, the parent is modelling verbal aggression to deal with crises. As a parent, you may not like to set up such a model for your child to follow.

Positive parenting can boost a child's self-esteem as they are encouraged to have open conversations about their thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. Particular focus should be given to the first few years of a child's life, as during this time, a child's brain develops at an extraordinary rate. This provides an exceptional opportunity to shape their ability to learn. Storytelling, discussions about day-to-day activities, reading together or walking through a garden are all learning activities.

 

Encourage talent, accept limitations, and prepare for the world

Part of good parenting is allowing the child to develop their personality through play. Playing, along with being a fun activity, improves children and adolescents' cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being. Parents have to encourage their talents while also accepting their limitations. It is extremely useful to have open conversations around pertinent questions like: What is it that they are most afraid of? Do they feel under-confident? Has anyone troubled them recently? Make them feel appreciated, as though their thoughts and opinions matter because they do. Teaching about good touch and bad touch, and how to deal with the latter is an absolute must. Children who do not receive adequate care and protection are among the most vulnerable people in the world. 

 

Types of parenting

There is no "100% correct" way when it comes to parenting, and the way you will educate your children will be influenced mainly by the way you yourself were educated, the way you observe other parents, and of course your personal background.   Despite all this, there are several common parenting styles, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. If you know how to align yourself with the parenting style that suits you, it will be much easier for you to be consistent in the education you give your children.

 

1. Authoritative Parenting

Many child development experts argue that this parenting style is the most effective. Characteristics of such parents include:

·        Willing to establish clear and consistent rules and boundaries

·        Having high expectations for their children

·        Knowing how to listen well to their children

·        Knowing how to give positive feedback and doing so regularly

Advantages and Disadvantages

Authoritative parents provide their children with a loving and supportive environment to grow in, and as a result, children of such parents suffer less from mental health issues and have higher self-esteem than children raised under other parenting styles. Additionally, children of such parents are healthier and are less likely to use drugs and alcohol and be less violent.   However, this style requires a lot of patience and rules, which can be difficult for both parents and children. Thus rules like ‘no play after sunset’, ‘dinner at 8 and bed at 9’ need to be implemented with patient and logical explanation.

 

2. Authoritarian Parenting

It may sound the same as "authoritative parent," but it is not. For authoritarian parents, it is important that children do everything necessary to succeed so that they can be the best version of themselves. Such parents:

·        Set clear and rigid rules and expect their children to follow them

·        Punish – sometimes severely - "Clean your room or I'll throw away your toys,"

·        Have high expectations for their children and do not accept failure –“If your grades are not good you will be punished”

·        Do not encourage open communication - "Because I said so!" without entering into a discussion on the matter

Advantages and Disadvantages

It's important to remember that not every child will grow up to be an Olympic athelete/swimmer or the next great genius Albert Einstein, and this parenting style has quite a few disadvantages, despite its excellent intentions. Children of authoritarian parents do not see their parents as legitimate authority figures, and are more likely to engage in negative behaviors such as smoking, skipping school, and drinking alcohol, compared to children raised under other parenting styles.   They also are more likely to suffer from depression, and though this style aims for success, their grades are not necessarily higher than those of their peers.

 

3. Attachment Parenting

This approach puts the child at the center and creates a protected and safe environment for them. Such parents have the following characteristics:

·        Tend to maintain a lot of physical contact with their children – holding hands, carrying them, and even sleeping with them in the same bed.

·        Respond to every cry for help from the child without hesitation – soothing, comforting, and supporting to provide a warm, loving, and safe environment.

Advantages and Disadvantages

These children grow up to be more independent, mentally resilient, less stressed, more empathetic, and have greater control over their emotions. However, such parents may themselves suffer from certain disadvantages, such as not dedicating time to themselves and their partners. The child too at times becomes a reassurance seeker, which may be an issue in later life.

 

4. Permissive Parenting

Parents who advocate for this parenting style are loving and warm. Unlike other parents, they let their children set the rules, and besides that, they also have the following characteristics:

·        Do not advocate for setting many rules “Don’t want to go to school, don’t go.”

·        Do not set clear boundaries – curfew hours, permissible drinks, smoking

·        Do not always try to control their children's behavior

·        Allow their children to make their own decisions

Advantages and Disadvantages

Permissive parents provide their children with a lot of love. Although most experts do not recommend this parenting style, children raised under it often become independent individuals who know how to make their own decisions and appreciate their parents for raising them to reach such a state.   However, these children experience much more stress in their studies, are be more often victims of bullying, and surprisingly - the bullies tend to be children of authoritative parents. As they are setting the rules they often suffer childhood obesity.

 

5. Free-Range Parenting

This parenting style allows children to explore the world, take risks, and make mistakes, but under the guidance of the parents. Before parents loosen the reins, they give children rules and warn them of the consequences of their actions. This allows them to provide their children with:

·        A sense of responsibility

·        Freedom - let your 3-year-old play alone in the park while you watch from a distance.

·        Control over their lives - allow your child to walk to a friend's house a few blocks away, but before he leaves your apartment, you explain that he should not talk to strangers and what he should do if he gets lost.

Advantages and Disadvantages

When children are given the responsibility for their actions, they grow up to be less depressed and anxious, and learn to rely more on their decisions. However, during childhood, they may be physically harmed, although the risk is no greater than that of other children.

 

6. Helicopter Parenting

Such parents control every detail of their children's lives, from the friends they hang out with, the food they eat, to how they spend their free time. The characteristics of such parents are:

·        Trying to control every situation in the child's life

·        Not trusting their children's ability to handle certain situations properly

·        Always offering guidance to their children

·        Trying to solve problems for their children instead of letting them handle them

Advantages and Disadvantages

Experts argue against helicopter parenting because it makes children dependent on their parents. But these children later are  much less likely to drink alcohol, engage in risky sexual behavior, or spend time with people who do so.   However, children of helicopter parents tend to have lower self-esteem, higher levels of anxiety and depression in adulthood, suffer from a fear of failure, and do not handle problem-solving well in their lives.

 

7. Neglectful / Uninvolved Parenting

Of course, no parent wants to be neglectful or uninvolved in their children's lives, but sometimes it's hard to prevent it, for example, if the parent works two jobs or in a different city and for some reason cannot communicate with the children. Such parents typically:

·        Do not have special feelings for their children – leave the child locked in a car while shopping.

·        Do not attend to their children's physical and emotional needs, except for their basic needs - no idea if the child has done their homework or not, and it doesn't really interest the parent

·        Do not respond quickly to their children

·        Are absent from their children's lives physically or emotionally

·        May hit their children

Advantages and Disadvantages

There is no documentation of advantages to this parenting style, but children raised under it tend to be better at relying on themselves, and have higher mental resilience. However, no child deserves to grow up in such an environment, and the disadvantages are many. These children struggle with emotional control, have a tendency toward depression, have difficulty forming and maintaining relationships, and are more anti-social and anxious.

 

To conclude:

There are many parenting styles, and chances are you won't be a parent of just one style, but you'll combine several styles together, and that's okay. Every parent is unique, and so is every child, and you are the ones who know your children best. According to most studies, children grow up best when parents walk the fine line between giving a lot of attention and trying to control them. Either way, you need to try different methods and find out what works best with your children and for you.

FROM VILLAGE TO VIGYAN - Reminiscences of a Pahadi Nuclear Scientist - A Book Review

 

Reminiscence of a Pahadi Nuclear Scientist- From Village to Vigyan is an autobiography of Dr. Chintamani Sunta and is undoubtedly one of those 'you can't put me down' books. I relate to the wisdom and clarity of thoughts of the author for reasons more than one. He happens to be the father of one of my most favorite colleague in Plastic Surgery, Prof. Vinita Puri, and the genetic source of her excellence is now an open secret. 

 

The author weaves the story of his childhood in the villages of Kumaon in Uttarakhand, near the picture postcard settings of Pithoragarh, a story that I have heard many times from my late mother in law, who belonged to the same place and lived a happy life of 104 years. The hills, the streams, the valleys, the pine forests, the lush green and mustard yellow steps of cultivated crops along the hillside and the footpath along their edge for traveling from village to village (dang-dang in Kumaoni) and the occasional encounter with wild boar or leopard are the stuff we have been repeatedly hearing from her. Dr. Sunta has painted the most enchanting scenery of the hills and distant mountain ranges in breathtakingly beautiful prose. I have also trekked extensively in both Kumaon and Garhwal and spent many holidays in Nainital, Almora, Bageshwar, Champawat and this further added to my exhilarating experience of reading the author's beautiful descriptions.

 

The trials and tribulations of a young boy from such a remote location in the hills as he crosses one academic and social hurdle after another, just to educate himself is truly inspirational. When we appreciate that academic excellence alone, coupled with hard work and dedication can achieve so much, with so few means and so little to fall back upon, it makes one wonder whether fate is anything else than what you make out of your chances and opportunities that life throws towards you.

 

Dr. Sunta started his professional life as a Physics teacher and after a few teaching assignments he got appointed in Atomic Energy Establishment in Bombay. He worked in Health Physics Department and his nature of work was research on radiation hazards. He devised an inexpensive Gamma Ray Attenuation Counter for this purpose, which added to his popularity. During this time he got married to Kamla and proceeded to the U.S alone for further training in his chosen field. The book describes his experiences in the research laboratories in the U.S and his foreign trips for conferences and research assignments in very simple words that bring out vivid details of persons and places, whether it is Denmark or Brazil or Austria. He was appointed an International Atomic Energy Agency Expert by the IAEA Vienna Head Office and worked in many countries in that capacity. His association with the Brazilian scientists of this field resulted in a fruitful Indo-Brazilian research collaboration for future scientists.

 

After retirement from the post of Director, Radiation Safety Division of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board Dr. Sunta’s association with the Brazilian nuclear scientists flourished further and he became first a researcher and then Professor of Physics in Sao Paolo University where he would do both – teach undergraduate students and guide the research projects of post graduates. He even established an optional graduate course which was committed to research. As he was a professor in a university he was offered resident status in Brazil. Dr. Sunta fondly remembered his office room which had large glass windows overlooking a cherry garden!

 

While working in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and in Brazil Dr. Sunta had many scientific publications in leading science journals to his credit but his crowning glory was a book ‘Unraveling Thermoluminescence’  published by Springer, which my friend and his daughter Vinita helped him to publish.

 

Though India was ‘Otro Lado da Mundo’, on the other side of the world in Portuguese, Dr. Sunta and his wife Smt. Kamla’s social life in Brazil was very eventful and enjoyable and they would often mesmerize the dinner guests by puffing up Pooris and Chapatis as if by magic. His childhood habit of walking from his village home to school across the hills, valleys and streams helped him when he would go on a trek with his friends in Brazil. He and his wife were immersed in a cross-cultural deluge, imbibing the Brazilian and the Japanese way of life as his unit chief was a Brazilian professor of Japanese descent. Incidentally, 1.5 million people of Japanese descent call Brazil their home. The motto of the land ‘Vive com art’ or ‘live with art’ appealed to the Suntas as they often received gifts like hand painted potteries, embroidered towels. There was pleasant and surprising Indian presence too in Brazil like the Brahma Kumaris in Sao Paolo and an ISKON temple which had its own Gokul and Yamuna!

 

The highlight of this book is the author’s description of nature and his eye for details. It seems that the reader is on a trip with him. The description of his walk with his bride when he took her to his native village Khatali is simply mesmerizing. They started late in the day from Pokhari near Almora and walked along narrow bush clearings, across cultivated fields and beautiful valleys, crossing streams and villages, first in bright sunlight and then as the sun set, in twilight and finally in complete darkness. As they passed the villages along walkways behind houses only light from earthen lamps and kerosene lanterns from these houses would illuminate their path. Later a relative gave them a lantern with which they reached their village home in Khatali. The young bride was very tired and the ladies of the house helped her out of exhaustion. The pair also visited Dr. Sunta's uncle’s house in the village of Simalta. The new bride in Ghooghat, bedecked with jewelries soon became very popular with the village ladies. 

 

The author’s ability to paint in words the rural landscape of the Kumaon hills is only matched by his talent of sketching the cityscape of Bombay of 1963 from the top of a Double Decker BEST bus as it took him and his wife, whom he was showing the city for the first time, from Chembur to Colaba. The description of the city landmarks and localities with their brief histories, the famous eateries and popular street food, all showed his pride of making this magical city his new home!

 

Dr. Sunta not only introduces the reader to his life and his work but he also introduces his family with great pride. His wife, Smt. Kamla, who not only finished her graduation and Sangeet Visharad in Hindustani Classical music but also comes out as an excellent mother of three children and a wonderful homemaker in not one but two continents. Their elder daughter is an Anaesthetiest and the younger one is a Professor in Plastic Surgery in K.E.M. Hospital in Mumbai and his son manages a media company in the U.S. He fondly remembers all the places he had stayed in the city first as a bachelor and later as a family man. His description of the Mumbai floods of 2005 is particularly a chilling one and his anguish of having lost all the photographs of his children’s’ childhood is truly palpable. Though now a Mumbaikar, he could not disassociate himself from the hills completely and so built a house in Simalta, 2 Km from his village Khatali and this is now a vacation home for his children and grand-children.

 

The author’s love for the Kumaon hills is so profound that he has spent an entire chapter of his book on the festivals, fairs and marriages in the hills. His descriptions of festivals like Phool dei, Vasant Panchami, Holi, Harela, Ghee Tyar, Janmashtami, Navratri, Diwali, Makar Shankranti, Ghughutia, and Ropai and the mythological stories behind each of them are truly a reader’s delight. The seven days of Holi celebration ending in a Bhandara or a feast, the Bedwa Roti soaked in Ghee of Ghee Tyar, the jhanki of Gokulashtami or Janmashtami, the burning of Ravan’s effigy on the tenth day of Navratri in Dushera, the five days celebration of Diwali and Bhai Dooj and the Makar Shankranti or Uttarayan, the last festival of the Hindu colander, they all keep the Kumaon hills in a constant celebratory mood.

 

Remembering about the fairs he would go to in his childhood, the author describes the Nag Panchami and the Kojagiri Purnima fairs that would be held at the Nauling temple, the Anant Chaturdashi fair in Banjain temple and the Kartik Purnima fair at the Sam temple. He also introduces the readers to his village deities and the Gods that are worshipped in the hills besides the regular ones that we know of. Thus Kalsin, the God of crops, Chhurrmal, Sam, Gijai bhooth, Aeirhi, Ganganath and Harjyu Gods, their field of influence and stories behind these Gods are very lucidly elaborated.

 

The traditional Kumaon wedding was one I could identify most easily because it was one of the three types of wedding, yes with the same wife, that I had, the other two being Bengali and a Court marriage. The village palanquin is now replaced by a car in the city but rituals like washing of the groom’s feet by the bride’s father, which is embarrassing to say the least, and the Ratyali that follows is all depicted in beautiful prose.

 

The author then comes to a very poignant part of this book where he talks about untouchability that prevailed then in the village and how greetings were exchanged not according to seniority by age but by social status, whether one was a Brahmin, Rajpoot or labourer. He also goes on to say how those who were untouchable before independence became Scheduled Caste after independence and progressed because of affirmative action of the government so much so that today there is a reversal of political authority in his village and Brahmins are economically weaker.

 

In a section on travels and tours Dr. Sunta writes about his fun filled holidays with his family to various parts of India, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia and Hong Kong. The travel bug truly kept him busy and this was invariably a great learning experience for his children. The story of Dr. Chintamani Sunta has left me in awe and I am even more convinced than ever that nothing is impossible. If you are prepared to burn the midnight oil and fight it out against all odds, there is always light at the end of the tunnel of struggle, toil and sweat. Another thing that this book brings out is you can take a Pahadi out of Pahad but you can never take the Pahad out of a Pahadi !

 

The book is in paperback of 228 pages and is published by Walnut Publication. Divided in six interesting and inter-related chapters, each chapter begins with an interesting poem composed by our friend and Plastic Surgeon Dr. Venkateswaran. In between the text are some very beautiful sketches made by Mr. Uttam Chapte and Dr. Vinita Puri which are pleasant interludes but don’t stop the flow of the author’s story. It is available in Amazon for Rs. 350.00 and if you ask me, it is a must read.

 

To buy this book please click: https://www.amazon.in/Reminiscences-Pahadi-Nuclear-Scientist-Village/dp/B0DBD7KGTT

 

 

WALKING IS GREAT FOR HEALTH

 

Studies have found that 1 hour of brisk walking can increase your life expectancy by 2 hours. Regular morning walks can also help you: 

·        Feeling better

·        Lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain types of cancer

·        Clear your mind

·        Lower blood pressure

·        Increase energy

·        Improve memory and lower your risk of dementia

·        Boost your mental and emotional health

·        Prevent weight gain

For maximum benefits, devote at least 150 minutes a week to your morning walk routine.  

Walking is one of the most popular forms of exercise in the world. After all, walking isn’t just simple and effective; it’s also one of the safest ways to improve your health. One of the biggest benefits of walking is that it’s easily accessible to almost everyone. Furthermore, it’s a time-efficient and low-impact activity and you can do it almost anywhere. Just a few minutes of walking is good both for your health and your mood.

Walking is an appealing form of exercise. Most people can do it, and there are plenty of benefits:

1. Boosts immune function. Walking daily can reduce your risk of catching a cold or the flu. Studies have shown that people who walk at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week, have 43% fewer sick days. And if you get sick, you’re likely to have milder symptoms.  
2. Better circulation. When you walk, your heart rate goes up, and this lowers your blood pressure. It improves your heart health over time and helps your overall circulation. You can also reduce your risk of stroke by walking 2 miles a day. 
3. Joint support. Your joints squish together when you walk. This movement and compression open them to get joint fluid. That allows more oxygen and nutrients to get into your joints, which help them work and feel better.
4. Strengthens muscles. Going on morning walks can help you tone your leg and abdominal muscles. Stronger muscles give you a wider range of motion and improve your overall strength and health. The pressure of moving is also shifted from your joints to your muscles. 
5. Clears mind. Walking has been shown to help your brain function better. People of all ages had better cognitive abilities while walking. Some people like to take walks when they’re thinking about something or trying to solve problems.
6. Boost mental health. Studies have shown that regular walks can improve your mood. They also find that walking can reduce mild to moderate symptoms of depression. 
7. Reduces risk of Alzheimer’s. A study of men ages 71 to 93 found that walking more than a quarter-mile each day had benefits: fewer cases of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Brief but consistent walks can have great effects on your mind and body.  

That being said, while walking is a relatively easy activity, it is still important to follow the proper techniques while doing it. Walking the incorrect way can lead to wasted effort or even injury. Walking mistakes are more common than you realize and hence it is important to be aware of them. Don't let these mistakes hold you back from getting the full benefits out of this exercise. Here is a look at a few common walking mistakes people make and how you can fix them.

1. Wearing the wrong shoes 

Picking the right pair of shoes before you begin walking is of great importance. A lot of time people wear shoes that are not the correct size or simply grab tennis and basketball shoes. However, you must note that walking shoes should be lightweight and flexible, while still providing support and cushioning. If the soles of your shoes are stiff, then you won’t be able to bend them at all while walking and that will make your feet uncomfortable. Furthermore, if your shoes are more than a year or two old, it’s likely that their cushioning and support have already degraded. Ideally, you should replace your shoes every 500 miles (804 km). Also, it goes without saying that you shouldn’t wear shoes that are too small or too big. Wearing ill-fitting shoes while walking can lead to friction blisters, pinching in the toe box, and general foot pain. Look for a shoe that has a well-padded heel and is light and breathable. It should also be water-resistant. You can easily find good models designed for walking these days and they need not be expensive.

Diabetics are advised to walk 4 Km in 40 minutes every day. They should be particularly careful about their footwear. These should be comfortable, well padded and soft.

2. Over-striding

While trying to walk faster, we tend to lengthen our stride. However, taking really wide steps, or over-striding, would mean that you are reaching out farther with your forward foot, leading to a clumsy and awkward walking posture. Reaching really far in front of yourself may make you feel a little off-balance and less stable. Also, since you are planting your foot so much in front of you, you’re almost restricting your foot's movement every time you land. This extra force that is being applied to your feet and legs can cause your shins to hurt. The main strength of your walk comes from pushing with the back leg and foot. Hence, you should focus on taking on shorter, quicker steps if you have to walk fast. This will ensure that your spine is straight and in proper alignment and won’t cause extra stress on your back or hips. 

3. Walking despite an injury 

It’s not a wise idea to keep walking if you have some form of injury or pain on either of your feet. Even if the pain is mild or something you feel can be ignored, what we don’t realize is that we are vulnerable to stress fractures or other injuries with walking. For instance, you might have some soreness or discomfort in your calf or thighs, but you decide to muscle through it because you read that walking is beneficial for you. This would only put you at risk for a potential injury. Fitness experts suggest that we should generally start off with an amount of walking that we can comfortably complete and only after we have become accustomed to the routine for a few weeks should we increase our distance and time. If you were primarily inactive for the past few months, then you should start slow and low to reduce the risk of any injury. If you have some sort of pain in your feet, ankles, legs, or hips, or are experiencing any trouble while walking, consult a doctor first rather than simply pushing through the pain.

Calf pains are called claudication and if you are a smoker then this can be serious. It means your leg muscles are not getting enough oxygenated blood because of the narrowing of the arteries of your leg. Complete abstinence from tobacco and a physician’s consultation is mandatory otherwise you may land up in gangrene of tore, foot or even leg.

4. Picking the same route every day

Do you often find yourself getting bored while walking? Does your mind wander off and you lose focus as you are walking? Then maybe the issue is your route. Picking the same route for walking every day might make you feel bored or lead you to lose interest in the process. When you see the same surroundings on your walking route on a regular basis, subconsciously you might feel as if you are stuck in a rut. Eventually, you might even give up the exercise. Thus, it would be good if you could change the route from time to time to keep things interesting. Moreover, it will also be beneficial for your mood and motivation. Try and keep switching between uncrowded lanes near your area or some parks with waterfronts for your walking route every once in a while to keep your interest in walking fresh.

Walking on a trade-mill at home is also boring if you are not listening to music or watching television at the same time. But if the walking tracks are far away from your home and streets around your home are busy with traffic then this is surely the next best option.

5. Walking with a slumped stance

Many people develop a hunched posture from sitting at a desk or in front of a computer all day long. That posture might be brought over to your walking as well. A good posture for walking allows you to breathe well and also helps you walk faster and longer.  The right walking posture is to keep your chin up when walking and make sure that it is parallel to the ground. Your eyes should be forward and focus on the street. Meanwhile, your shoulders should be down and relaxed. As you walk, step your feet lightly from heel to toe and swing your arms naturally and freely.

6. Making it all about your lower body

Walking shouldn’t just be all about your lower body. Yes, your feet, ankles, and legs push you forward but your upper body, especially the core, is equally important. Strong and activated core muscles while walking will take some pressure off of your feet and toes. This will also minimize the risk of overuse injuries which impacts muscles, nerves, ligaments, and tendons. While walking, tilt your torso slightly forward to keep your core muscles busy. You should also pull your belly button in toward your spine but make sure you don’t grip the muscles. Think of it like you're doing a small crunch but while walking.

7. Swinging your arms too much

While it’s important to use your arms while walking, it’s equally vital not to swing them too much or too wildly. Many feel that the wild arm motion will give the body the extra push while walking. That isn’t quite true. While you're walking, each arm tends to move naturally with the motion of the opposite leg. However, the movement shouldn’t be so exaggerated that your trunk is moving back and forth erratically and is unsteady. Relax your arms and let them move naturally instead of forcibly while keeping your elbows close to your body. Not only will this motion look less silly, but it will also let you focus on strength from your rear leg without wasting motion in front of your body.

8. Walking without much intensity

Walking doesn’t need to be an intense workout session. However, if you intend to walk with the intention of losing weight or to boost your cardio, then it cannot be too low-intensity. To maximize the health benefits of your walk, a moderate-intensity walking routine would be appropriate for most age groups. The range for moderate-intensity activity is 2.5 to 4 miles per hour (mph). However, you should choose your pace depending on your fitness levels. Generally, 100 steps per minute for adults under age 60 (about 3 mph) should be good enough. 

9. Not drinking enough water

It is essential to stay hydrated while walking. Hence, you shouldn’t make the mistake of not drinking enough water before, during, and after the activity. Firstly, make sure to have a glass of water every hour throughout the day. This will ensure that you are hydrated when you are starting out. Then, drink a glass of water 10 minutes before your walk. During your walk, you should drink a cup of water every 20 minutes or when you feel thirsty. Once you finish your walking routine, drink a glass of water as well. The key is to balance proper hydration with over-hydration. Bear in mind, though, to avoid drinking any caffeinated beverages before your walk. They will make you lose fluids and make you feel thirstier. If you walk for two hours or more, carry an electrolyte-replacement sports drink with you.

10. Not stretching later

New walkers generally tend to avoid any stretching exercises after finishing their main routine. That, however, is a mistake. Your muscles and tendons need to ease out when the walking routine is done, or else they might get tight. The older you get, the more important it is to stretch after every exercise routine. A gentle stretch when you're done with your walk should be good enough. Give your legs, particularly your calves, a decent workout. Don’t overdo it, though. Stretches shouldn’t hurt or cause discomfort.  Do slow standing lunges for about 2-3 minutes. Slowly bend at the waist with slightly flexed knees and bend forward. Hold each stretch for 10-20 seconds. For help with your balance, use a chair or a wall. 

Getting up early can be a challenge if you like to stay up late and sleep in. If you want to make walking in the morning a part of your new routine, there are some ways to motivate yourself: 

• Get your clothes and shoes ready the night before
• Create a fun, upbeat playlist
• Stretch before and after your walk
• Wear reflective clothes if you’re walking in the dark so drivers can see you
• Make sure your walking goals are realistic. Aim for 30 minutes of movement or exercise each day. But do what feels right for your body. You can slowly increase how far or how long your walks are.
• If you miss a day, don’t let it ruin your routine. It’s OK to have an off day and start right back up the next day. 
• To keep your morning walks enjoyable, you should also consider changing up your route. Having new things to look at and see can give you something to look forward to in the morning. 

If you are not a morning person then make it an evening walk. Walking is vital for good health, so enjoy the benefits of walking.