How Walking Can Help You Get In Shape And Lose Weight
A lot of people avoid exercise because they think that it will be too strenuous for them. It’s almost as if they are too unfit to get fit. It’s perfectly understandable that most of us associate getting in shape with a high intensity workout – getting all hot and sweaty in other words.
Using similar logic, many people find it hard to imagine that a low intensity, low impact, low injury risk workout could deliver very significant health benefits, help you to lose weight and get in much better shape. However, that’s exactly what walking – an activity which requires no special equipment, training or expertise, and one which we all do on a daily basis – can do for you if you do it on a regular basis.
And when you take a look at the list of health benefits which regular walking can provide, your sense of disbelief is only likely to grow still further.Walking can help to reduce your blood pressure level. It can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke whilst simultaneously improving lung capacity. It can release endorphins and help to combat depression, make you feel more energetic and help you to sleep better. It can be effective against different forms of cancer. Recent research in the UK suggests that it may even help to stave off Alzheimer’s disease. It can raise your metabolic rate and help you to lose weight.
Reading that list you might think that it was an ad for some new wonder drug, or maybe an expensive health supplement. Small wonder that it’s hard to credit it. Don’t forget, you can get started on your walking exercise plan without any special exercise equipment. All you need is a good, comfortable pair of shoes and you’re all set. Neither are there any expensive monthly membership fees to pay – walking is free. What’s more, you can slot walking into your day whenever it suits you best.
Most health professionals recommend that you take 10,000 steps daily in order to achieve the health benefits on offer. For the large majority of people, that is equivalent to a distance of somewhere between four and a half and five miles – depending upon your stride length. It does sound like a long way, but it’s easier to achieve than you might imagine. Leave the car in the garage and walk to school or work.Get off the bus a couple of stops early and complete your journey on foot. Take the stairs instead of the lift. There are plenty of opportunities to increase your daily step count, and they all add up.
If you are over forty years old, if you have any medical conditions, or if you just haven’t exercised for some time, then it would be wise to seek your doctor’s advice and opinion before you launch any new fitness regime. However, as long as you start off slowly and build up over time, walking will improve your health and fitness levels. More importantly, you will both look and feel much better.
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