More and more people are waking up to the fact that walking is a very effective method of taking exercise. It’s an enjoyable, low impact, low injury risk exercise with the possibility for the introduction of a social element as well. It’s the ideal exercise for anyone who is new to exercise or who hasn’t taken regular exercise for a while.
You don’t need any special equipment or training and you can fit it into your daily routine whenever it suits you best. It’s also a very cost effective method of exercising. There are no monthly gym fees to pay, so it won’t cost you a fortune to get in shape.
Just as with other physical activities, you will use up additional calories when you are actively engaged in walking. Just as important, your metabolic rate will increase. What that means is that you will burn calories faster throughout the day, whatever you’re doing. If you’re surfing the internet, reading the newspaper, watching your favorite TV show - even if you’re sleeping - you will burn calories more quickly.
Apart from weight loss, walking on a regular basis will provide you with many health benefits. Oxygen intake in the blood is increased and this not only improves blood circulation but strengthens the heart. It can lower your blood pressure, improve your lung capacity and even help to combat depression. The risk of contracting certain types of cancer is also considerably lower for regular walkers. Walking will help you to sleep better at night and you will feel less fatigued throughout the day. In fact, the list of health benefits is actually too long to list in full here. The list of benefits available from walking reads like an advert for some new miracle drug.
A great way to make your walking sessions more fun is to make it a social activity. Instead of sitting in front of your computer, why not go for a walk with some colleagues during your lunch hour - or you walk around the local park, or even just your neighbourhood, with family and friends in the evening after work. If you like, you can just take your dog.
When you’re listening to your favorite tunes, the miles and the time will simply fly by. An mp3 player is a good investment if you don’t already own one. Be careful not to turn the volume up too high and pay attention to traffic, especially if you’re in a busy location.
There have been a number of advances in fitness footwear technology recently. You can now take your pick from a range of “toning” shoes like Fit flops sandals, Skechers Shape Ups shoes, Masai Barefoot Technology shoes and Reebok Easy Tones exercise shoes. These all claim to increase the efficiency of your walking exercise program by making your lower body muscles work a little harder when you’re walking. They generally have special soles which either replicate the effect of walking on soft sand or produce an element of imbalance which forces your lower body muscles to work harder.
If you have a job keeping your motivation up, then you might think about getting hold of a pedometer. An Omron pedometer is accurate to within 5% and will display your results in terms of steps taken, calories used or distance covered. There seems to be general agreement amongst health professionals that walking 10,000 steps each day will deliver a whole host of health benefits - including weight loss. Carry your pedometer with you throughout the day and you will soon be actively looking for ways to boost your daily step count.