Common Walking Missteps

Although hitting the pavement with a partner is a great motivator, if you spend the entire time chatting, you may be doing more harm than good, says Ralph Stokes, DC, a chiropractor with the Texas Back Institute in Dallas. Talking while exercising not only puts your posture at risk (turning your head causes excessive neck strain and a forward lean in posture), but it also reduces oxygen intake, making you fatigue more quickly. Save the conversation for warm-up and cool-down phases.