Walking

Walking has so many health benefits.  It can help you loose weight, ease depression, curb your appetite and get you places!  The left hand, right foot, right hand, left foot action stimulates both sides of the brain.  Walking also releases endorphins for a great mood pick-me-up.  If you walk for 30 minutes or more a day, it can definitely help you loose weight. Especially if you walk briskly and up and down inclines.  Running can be really hard on your joints and can cause you to release adrenaline.  Adrenaline can cause hardening of arteries overtime.  Walking does the opposite, it calms, relaxes, releases happy hormones and keeps you fit.  Here are some articles on the benefits of walking.

  http://walking.about.com/od/healthbenefits/Benefits_of_Walking_How_Walking_Reduces_Health_Risks.htm

Happy walking!

-Val

Posture Exercises

Bad posture can be corrected by stretching the shortened tendons and muscles and shortening the lengthened muscles.  It's not really a quick process but its not necessarily hard.  For rounded shoulders you need to stretch your arms back to lengthen the front of the chest and do strenghthening on your back to shorten those muscles and pull your shoulders back naturally.  Strengtheing the core can also improve posture.  You need the muscles around your spine to be in tip top shape to pull it into correct alignment.  I found a work out video called 10 Minute Solution: Target Toning for Beginners.  It's not the most exciting workout, but I've found it to be quick, easy and effective.  It specifically targets posture muscles in the ab and upper body sections of the workout.  What I really love about it is you can pick and choose what workouts you want to do in the menu section and it will automatically play them.

10 Minute Solution at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/10-Minute-Solution-Target-Beginners/dp/B0002J58NI

Remember not to do the floor exercises for your tummy if you have a diastisis.

-Val