What Health And Fitness Benefits Does Regular Walking Offer You?
When you actually take the time to consider all the health benefits of walking as a form of exercise, they are almost to good to be true. Lower blood pressure, reduced risk of heart disease, reduced risk of stroke, reduced risk of depression and even a lower probability of certain forms of cancer. Consider also increased energy levels, weight loss and generally feeling better and you soon realise just how impressive the list of benefits actually is.
Considering the fact that walking can be slotted into your daily schedule whenever it suits you, and the fact that you don’t need to pay any gym membership fees, and you might start to wonder why more people don’t include walking as a key part of their exercise activity. Another point worth remembering is that all you need to get started is a decent pair of comfortable shoes – there’s no need for any special equipment, expertise or training.
Possibly people may not be including walking in their exercise program because they simply aren’t aware of the many potential benefits to be gained by doing this. We still have something of a “no pain no gain” mentality and this might make it seem implausible that a low impact workout such as walking could have such a positive impact.
However, the evidence is irrefutable. There are some truly excellent benefits available by incorporating walking into your exercise program. The key thing is consistency – exercise needs to be taken on a regular basis. It should, ideally, form a part of your daily routine.
And there are plenty of opportunities to do this. Why not leave the car in the garage and walk to work for a change? Or how about taking the stairs instead of the elevator from time to time? Maybe you could take a 10 or 15 minute stroll around the block at lunchtime. Small, almost unnoticeable changes can make a big difference.
It’s not out of the question that the fact that so little effort is required could be part of the problem. For some people, the idea of getting so many benefits for so little effort may be, quite literally, incredible. If you find yourself taking this viewpoint then the use of a pedometer to monitor your progress might be something that could help to convince you. Track your effort and results by counting the number of steps you take each day – or convert this into calories burned or distance covered – whatever is most meaningful and interesting for you.
It should quickly become evident that relatively minor changes to your daily routine – going on foot instead of driving for some journeys for example – can have a major impact on your health and fitness. Measuring and verifying the benefits of your walking activities could be all the encouragement that you need to motivate you to exercise on a regular basis and reap the rewards in terms of health, fitness and overall well being.
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