Most of us do not exercise anywhere near enough. Yet exercise does not have to be intense, even just going for a walk can be great exercise. Learn all about why you should be walking more in this article.
Walking is a great way to get some exercise into your life. This activity is easy to do, has a very low impact on the body, provides a great overall workout, and even has many benefits for your heart. Best of all, walking does not cost any money, it does not require a high degree of skill or training, and it does not require any expensive equipment. You just need some comfortable footwear and then you can be out of the door and exercising in minutes!
There are a lot of benefits to be had from walking. From becoming overall more physically fit to increasing your balance, strength, and stamina, this activity can safely be carried out by just about every age group and fitness level. If those reasons don't convince you to get up off the couch and start doing some walking then it is also believed to help lower your blood pressure (important in our high stress society), lower your risk of developing diabetes (type 2), strengthen your bones (important in later life) and even improve your cholesterol levels.
Here are some tips to help you out so you get the most benefit out of your walking routine. Before heading out, make sure you have good, supportive, comfortable walking shoes. It is a good idea to wear loose fitting clothing too, so you can move easily and it allows air to circulate. If you dress in layers then you can make sure you are warm when you start so your muscles are nice and flexible, and then as you progress and you start to warm up from the exercise then you can take layers off.
If you are going to be walking for a long time then you should probably warm up a bit before you go out. Take about five or ten minutes to warm up your muscles, stretch, and walk slowly in place. This will help to reduce the amount of stress your muscles are placed under, which will reduce the risk of pulls, strains, and even cramps. Once you have completed these steps you are now ready to start walking. Don't rush into it as you are full of energy, after 20 minutes you won't be feeling so energetic if you keep that up, instead aim for a confident walk (not a slow amble like you would do at the mall). When you have completed your walk, finish with some gentle stretches and a few minutes of walking slowly in place.
Once you start getting fitter then you will want to think about increasing either the speed you walk, or the distance. It is recommended that beginners undertake a short, fifteen minute walk about two times per week. Then gradually start to do that more than twice a week, up to about 5 times a week in the end, and increase the time you go out for to 30 minutes. That might sound like an awful lot of walking, and you might find it tough at first, but as you get fitter then you will find you enjoy going out as your body rewards you with endorphins which make you feel good.
In the winter then you don't want to lose your momentum, so it might be a good idea to invest in a treadmill for when it is either too cold to go out, snowing, icy or raining. That will also help to keep you safe as you don't want to be walking in the evening when it starts getting dark very early. You will find that walking on a treadmill is nowhere near as fun, but get a TV setup in front of it to stop you getting bored and make sure as soon as the weather starts getting better that you resume your old routine.
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