Afghan Walking

Afghan walking

It goes like this.  You count your breaths, as you walk, looking not at the ground before you, but the horizon ahead, relaxing your body, breathing in through your nose, feeling the ground with your feet, moving as light and quick as the terrain permits.  The breath goes like this…

3-1-3-1: breath in for three steps, hold breath for one step, breath out for three steps, hold breath for one step, start over.

Then 4-4-2: breath in for four steps, breath out for four steps, hold for two, repeat 10 times, add in a 3-1-3-1, start over.

And 5-5-2: breath in for five steps, breath out for fives steps, hold for two, start over, repeat 10 times, add in a 3-1-3-1, start over.

Working up to 6-6-2 and 7-7-2 and 8-8-2 on flat and downhill stretches.

Coming back to 3-1-3-1 and 2-1-2-1 on steep uphill stretches.

Rumour is one can cover vast distances with the technique.

There is also Naismith’s rule – 3mph + 1hr per 1000′ gain. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naismith%27s_rule