It would be easy to dismiss walking as a way to take exercise. After all, it’s a low impact, low injury risk and relatively low intensity way to workout. There’s no need for training or special equipment. It’s something that you already know how to do – you probably do it every day, to some extent at least.

However, you shouldn’t allow familiarity to breed contempt. There’s no need to start out on an exercise program suited to an Olympic athlete in order to achieve some very important health benefits. The list of benefits which this simple exercise can provide is lengthy – and it includes weight loss, an important consideration for many people.

Walking can reduce the probability of heart disease and stroke. It can help to relieve hypertension and lower cholesterol levels. As it is a weight bearing exercise, it can increase bone density and help to build muscle. It can help to increase the operating efficiency of the heart and lungs. The probability of contracting certain types of cancer can be reduced as a result of walking regularly. It can even help to combat anxiety and depression. Research in the UK seems to suggest that walking just 8 miles each week can help to stave off senile dementia. As mentioned above, it can help you to lose weight, get into better shape and feel much better overall.

That’s an impressive list of benefits. It reads more like an advert for the latest wonder drug rather than a mundane activity that you do every day! You don’t need to “go for the burn” or adopt a “no pain, no gain” mentality. You just need to do a little more walking than you normally do, and keep doing it on a regular and consistent basis, and you will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you reap the rewards.

There are numerous opportunities for you to walk a little more. You can fit it into your schedule at a time to suit you. Leaving your car in the garage and walking to the shops, work or school is a good start. If that isn’t a practical suggestion for you then take your car but park it in the corner of the lot which is furthest away from the entrance – so that you have a little further to walk. If you use the subway or the bus, then get off one or two stops early and complete your journey on foot. Walk up the stairs instead of using the lift. Go for a short walk at lunchtime rather than sitting in front of your computer. Walk about whenever you are talking on your mobile phone. There’s no shortage of ways to build walking into your day.

If you are fitting walking into your daily schedule in short bursts, as described above, it can be hard to keep track of your progress. You may find that a pedometer is a good idea. It will track and display your results in terms of the number of calories burned, the total number of steps taken or the distance covered. This is a good method to keep your motivational level high.

You might find an mp3 player a useful device. When you’re listening to your favorite music, the time and the miles will fly past.

Toning shoes are another, fairly recent development, which might help you. Brands like Skechers Shape Ups Shoes, Fit Flops sandals and Reebok Easy Tones all incorporate scientifically designed soles that increase the amount of work performed by your lower body muscle whilst walking. You can trim and tone your lower body – just by walking around.

So, if you want to shed a few pounds, then walking to lose weight is a very good solution. There are numerous other health benefits – many of which are just as important as weight loss – which walking can deliver.

Tags