Sneaking Through The Woods

Walking without making a sound is another way to stretch your walking skills, and is how animal trackers move silently through nature. Put on your soft-soled shoes and your soft eyes and head for the woods! Place your feet silently in three parts to let yourself feel twigs or other potential noisemakers under your feet before you put weight on them. Start by placing the little toe corner softly on the ground, then roll your foot to include the big toe corner. Next, gradually add weight as you lower your heel and shift your weight. (You may notice that this very slow movement adds meditation and balance dimensions to your walk.) Start your practice on an open even path, then add challenge by walking through tall grass or the woods with their unpredictable surfaces; unevenness lets your toes practice discovering where the ground is. For visual “silence”, avoid touching nearby saplings or bushes because a small bump at the bottom of a moveable plant will make the high-up leaves wave wildly, and you will no longer be invisible!

Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.