Walk it off

 health

You! takes a look at the numerous health benefits of walking...

Don’t have the energy to perform a strenuous workout routine? The fact is you don’t necessarily have to push yourself to the limit with tough exercises just to be healthy. All you have to do to look and feel good is walk. Yes, a simple task like walking can do wonders for your health! This is because physical activity does not have to be vigorous or done for long periods in order to improve your health. Unlike some other forms of exercise, walking doesn’t require any special equipment or training. Just 30 minutes every day of brisk walking can do the job. Read on to find out more.

Benefits

A study of inactive women showed that even a low level of exercise - around 75 minutes per week - improved their fitness levels significantly, when compared to a non-exercising group. Hence, walking everyday or thrice a week can benefit your health in many ways. Here are a few benefits of walking.

 Increased cardiovascular and pulmonary (heart and lung) fitness.

 Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.

 Improved management of conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, joint and muscular pain or stiffness, and diabetes.

 Stronger bones and improved balance.

  Increased muscle strength and endurance.

 Reduced body fat.

Tips

Here are a few tips that will encourage you to walk often and help you do it right.

Get used to it slowly: If it’s too difficult to walk for 30 minutes at one time, do regular small bouts (10 minutes) three times per day and gradually increase the duration. However, if your goal is to lose weight, you will need to do physical activity for longer than 30 minutes each day. You can still achieve this by starting with smaller bouts of activity throughout the day and increasing these as your fitness improves.

Make it a routine: Try to make walking a routine - for example, try to walk at the same time each day. Remember, you use the same amount of energy, no matter what time of day you walk, so do what is most convenient for you. Asking someone to walk with you will help make it a regular activity.

Build a comfortable intensity: Walking fast burns more kilojoules per hour than walking slowly, but this doesn’t mean you have to push yourself until you are breathless. Instead, pace yourself so that you can still talk. This simple rule of thumb means that you walk safely within your target heart rate. Our bodies tend to get used to physical activity, so continue to increase your intensity and you will surely improve your fitness levels. Increase your walking speed gradually by including some quick walking.

Dress right: It is best to dress lightly for any physical activity. Dressing too warmly can increase sweating and build up body temperature, which can make you uncomfortable during a walk or possibly cause skin irritations. Pay close attention to footwear you choose as well. Walking is a low-cost and effective form of exercise but the wrong type of shoe can cause foot or shin pain, blisters and injuries to soft tissues. Make sure your shoes are comfortable, with appropriate heel and arch supports.

Warming up and cooling down after walking: The best way to warm up is to walk slowly. Start off each walk at a leisurely pace to give your muscles time to warm up, and then pick up the speed. Afterwards, gently stretch your leg muscles - particularly your calves and front and back thighs. Stretches should be held for about 20 seconds. If you feel any pain, ease off the stretch. Don’t bounce or jolt, or you could overstretch muscle tissues and cause microscopic tears, which lead to muscle stiffness and tenderness.

Make walking interesting: This is necessary as making walking interesting will help you stick to the activity permanently. Ways to keep your daily walk interesting include picking different routes so you don’t get tired of seeing the same sights and finding friends or family members to walk with. Putting on some music while walking is another way to make your activity interesting. You can also try and walk at various different times of the day to change the mood.