Walking doesn’t always get the praise and respect that it deserves for its health benefits. It reduces your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, manage your weight, calm your appetite, reduce stress, and put you in contact with nature.
Walking and Exercise Guidelines
In any physical activity, the benefits are determined by three elements: the intensity, frequency, and duration.
Walking is less intensive, which means that you have to walk a longer distance and for longer periods to march the benefits of running.
The American Heart Association calls for people to do moderate-intensity exercise like brisk walking for 30 minutes on five days each week.
Mix and match to suit your abilities, health, daily schedule, and abilities.
Walking for Your Heart
In a recent report including findings from multiple kinds of research, the medical studies showed that just walking (without doing any other kind of exercise) minimized the risk of heart attack by 31% and also cut the risk of dying related health problems by 32%. The benefits were robust in both men and women.
Walking for Your Mood & Health
Walking is one of the most powerful ways to improve your cardiovascular health and live longer. Its shockingly simple, even a baby can do it :)
Walking will greatly improve your mood, it's a zero-calorie stress relief strategy. Research shows that regular walking actually modifies your nervous system so much that you’ll experience a decrease in anger and hostility.
If you want to improve your cardiac risk factors such as blood pressure, vascular stiffness, mental stress, diabetes, cholesterol, and inflammation, you should consider taking a simple 30 min walk every day.
Put on Your Shoes and Walk
Comfortable shoes are important. Most athletic brands have shoes designed specifically for walking. Most importantly your shoes should feel supportive. Look for shoes with a heel pad and a padded tongue.
The upper part of the shoe should be breathable, light, flexible, the inner sole should be moisture resistant. The heel wedge of the running shoe should be raised a bit, so the sole at the front is thinner than the one at the back.
Before you get out and take a serious walk, stretch your body to warm up and stretch again to cool down. Start walking at a low pace, slow down towards the end of the walk.
For safety, always pick bright outer garments and a reflector if going on the country roads if it’s dark.