When it comes to exercise , walking is not something that springs to many people’s minds. It’s a low injury risk, low impact and low intensity exercise mode. There’s no need for training or special equipment. You already know how to it – in fact, you probably do it every day.
However, you shouldn’t allow familiarity to breed contempt. There’s no need to start out on an exercise program suited to an Olympic athlete in order to achieve some very important health benefits. The benefits provided by this simple exercise are numerous – including weight loss, a key goal for a lot of people.
Walking can reduce the probability of heart disease and stroke. It can lower cholesterol levels and reduce blood pressure. Because it is a weight bearing exercise, it can build muscle and increase bone density. It can raise the operating the operating efficiency of the lungs and heart. The probability of contracting certain types of cancer can be reduced as a result of walking regularly. It can even help to fight depression and anxiety. Research in the UK seems to suggest that walking just 8 miles each week can help to stave off senile dementia. As previously mentioned, it can help you to shed a few pounds, get in better shape and feel a whole lot better in general.
That’s a lengthy list of potential benefits. It reads more like an advert for the latest wonder drug rather than a mundane activity that you do every day! There’s no need to get into a “no pain, no gain” mindset – or to “go for the burn”. You just need to do a little more walking than you normally do, and keep doing it on a regular and consistent basis, and you will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you reap the rewards.
There are plenty of opportunities for you to walk more often. You can slot it into your day whenever it’s most convenient for you. One very common piece of advice is to leave your car in the garage and walk to work. However, if that doesn’t work out for you then just take your car anyway but park it in a faraway corner of the parking lot so that you have further to walk to reach the entrance – no need to feel guilty. If you use the subway or the bus, then get off one or two stops early and complete your journey on foot. Walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator. During your lunch break, go for a short ten or fifteen minute walk. When you’re talking on your mobile phone, walk around a bit. There’s no shortage of ways to build walking into your day.
Of course, if you’re slipping walking into your day in short bursts as described above, it can be difficult to keep track of your progress. A pedometer may prove to be a good investment. It will record your results in terms of the number of steps taken, the total distance covered or the number of calories burned. This is a good method to keep your motivational level high.
You might find an mp3 player a useful device. When you’re listening to your favorite music, the time and the miles will fly past.
Another recent development which you could use to your advantage is toning shoes. Brands like Skechers Shape Ups Shoes, Fit Flops sandals and Masai Bafrefoot Technology Shoes all use specially designed soles which raise the amount of work that your lower body muscles perform whilst walking. This can help to trim and tone your lower body – just by walking.
So, if you want to lose some weight, then walking to lose weight is a very good choice. It will also provide you with numerous other health benefits – many of which are even more important than losing weight.
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