Why Walking Is Such A Great Way To Get In Shape
Walking is a fantastic way to take exercise – and it’s a form of exercise which most people can take part in and enjoy. There’s no requirement for any special equipment, it costs practically nothing and you can slot it into your daily routine whenever it’s most convenient for you. The health benefits to be obtained from walking read like an advert for the latest miracle drug – and you can get them with fairly minimal effort.
A target of 10,000 steps daily is often quoted as being the magic number required in order to achieve the health benefits on offer. That’s roughly equivalent to a distance of between 4.5 and 5.0 miles for the average person. It does sound like a fair old walk – but it’s a lot easier to achieve than you might imagine. Besides, when you think about the possible health benefits, it’s worth a little extra effort.
Of course, we live in a society which is increasingly sedentary – so it may very well be that you currently miss the recommended 10,000 daily steps (possibly by quite some way). If you’re not sure how many steps you currently take then it might be a good idea to get hold of a pedometer in order to find out what your daily average is. You can pick these up pretty cheaply these days – but be certain to choose one which has a double axis sensor fitted as these tend to be more accurate.
Once you’ve established exactly how many steps you average per day, you should look for ways to make up any difference between your daily average and the 10,000 step target. There are many different ways to do this – but be sensible and build up gradually – don’t try to do everything all at once.
If you have enough time in your daily routine to fit in a dedicated walk then that’s ideal of course. However, if you can’t manage this, then there are many other ways to increase your daily step count. At lunchtime take a ten or fifteen minute stroll around the block instead of sitting in front of your computer. Get off the bus one or two stops early and finish your journey on foot. Leave your car at home and walk now and again – or, if that’s not possible, then park your car in the far corner of the parking lot so that you have further to walk to the entrance.
Make modern technology work in your favor by walking around whilst you talk on your cordless or mobile phone. You can squeeze in an extra 1500 steps during a fifteen minute telephone call. Opportunities for fitting walking into your day are plentiful – and they soon add up.
If you’re over forty, if you have any medical conditions, or if you just haven’t exercised for some time, then it would be a good idea to seek the opinion and advice of your doctor before you start any new fitness regime. However, walking is a low impact, low injury risk workout which will, as long as you exercise a little common sense, deliver significant health benefits. Before you know it, you will be feeling better, enjoying higher energy levels and shedding pounds.
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