Walking Fast
Many exercise enthusiasts have thrashed their knee joints by  running endless miles on concrete roads. Many of those exercisers  either quit or turn to cycling, but a small number take up fitness  walking or even race walking. Therese Iknoian, a nationally ranked race  walker and fitness journalist, startsWalking Fastwith the  assumption that only people interested in her sport will pick the book  up, so she's not trying to "sell" the sport. Iknoian  discusses race-walking technique (you have to understand terms such asheel strike,toe lift, andpushoff) and clears up  any misconceptions you may have about what a race walker's hips are  doing in midstride. (Someone who has seen race walking only in the  Olympics might assume that the hips are sashaying from left to right,  like Marilyn Monroe's, when in fact it's a far more complex up-and-back  motion that is best realized by imagining that your legs are an  extension of your waist rather than your hips.) The benefits of  learning the technique? Race walking is great exercise without much  impact on your joints (there's never a point when both feet are off the  ground, as in running). People who try the sport swear it's a blast,  and there's a surprisingly large network of fellow walkers with whom to  connect.