Walking is good for you

Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic and the changes to all of our lives, there have been many new and increased opportunities for us to stay and work from home.

As a result, this has enabled many of us to begin establishing a new routine within our lives, set goals and hopefully follow a pattern of undertaking regular exercise.

These changes and a new way of living have meant that governments around the world are now actively encouraging us to exercise regularly and walking has now become more popular than ever. Walking is a relatively straightforward form of exercise as it can easily be integrated into your daily routine.

There is no doubt walking offers many incredible health benefits to people of all ages and fitness levels. It may also help to prevent the onset of certain diseases and can even add years to your life.

Walking is free and can be easily fitted into your daily routine, with doctors recommending 30 to 60 minutes a day. All you will need to start walking is a sturdy pair of walking shoes or trainers, a suitable place to walk and a desire to enjoy your new-found freedom.

To find more perfect walking shoes, check out Instash.

Following In My Footsteps

Over the last few weeks, I have tried to follow a regular daily routine of walking for around 3 miles in total. All in the local area and close to home. It has worked very well as it not only allows for some much-needed exercise but also offers some valuable headspace and time to reflect.

To build on the enthusiasm of my current walking interests and probably inspire others to do something similar I have compiled a list of several benefits that might just help encourage yourself to get active, get outdoors and do the same.

Walking Burns Calories

Walking is a relatively low impact form of exercise and with the right choice of footwear, it can be pretty much perfect for anyone wishing to lose a little bit of excess weight, trim up and be healthy. Depending upon the distance travelled or the energy exhorted walking can help you to burn calories rapidly and as a result of your new-found freedom, it can help you maintain or lose weight if that is your goal.

Your actual calorie burn will depend on various factors, some of which might including:

• your overall walking speed

• the distance covered

• type of terrain you walk on (you’ll burn more calories walking uphill than you’ll burn on a flat surface)

• your starting weight

To maintain focus and develop greater awareness of how many calories you have consumed, you can log progress on a Smartphone, Smartwatch or refer your activity to an online calorie calculator or app.

Boost Your Energy Levels

Walking is a fabulous way to help boost your overall energy levels and going outside for a walk when you’re tired may be a more effective energy boost than reaching for some of those high calories foods or making yourself a strong cup of coffee.

Walking regularly helps to increase oxygen flow throughout the whole body. It can also increase the levels of cortisol and other mood-enhancing hormones that help to elevate our overall energy levels.

It is a great exercise for setting your own pace and allowing your body to regulate the energy levels you exhort.

Improve Your Mood 

Being stuck inside and being relatively sedentary can ultimately affect your overall mood. Paying considerable attention to our Mental Health is vitally important as it can help to reduce levels of anxiety, depression, and the onset of a negative mood. Regular walking outside can also help to boost levels of self-esteem and reduce symptoms of feeling withdrawn socially.

Walking more will lead to more significant health benefits and an increased chance of enjoying the positive impact that affects your body and mind, it is crucial to aim for around 30 to 60 minutes of brisk walking around three days a week. At the moment, I tend to walk around 3 miles a session, which equates to just over 1 hour. I do this about 3 times a week and it works very well for me.

You can do more or less walking depending upon your current activity levels. It mainly depends upon what suits you at the time or what overall goals you want to achieve.

Eases Joint Pain

Walking regularly can help protect the joints, particularly your knee and hip joints. The reason for this is because it helps lubricate and strengthen the muscles that support the joints.

Regular walking may also provide significant benefits for people living with arthritis, such as reducing the level of pain. And walking 5 to 6 miles a week may also help to prevent arthritis.

Creative Thinking

One of the main reasons I walk is that it helps to clear my head and enables me to think more expansively. When I think like this, much-needed creativity is allowed to energise myself.

Researchers have previously found exercise to be a great stimulus for people wanting to develop ideas and being in an active state is far more beneficial than simply sitting. Participants in such research areas were said to have done more while walking and being in the outdoors, as opposed to being seated.

The researchers have concluded that walking can open up a free flow of ideas and it provides a simple way to increase creativity and get physical activity at the same time.

Motivate Yourself

Like most things in life, motivation is so often the key to success and when you are faced with completing a challenge you usually give it your best. I tend to use the app Strava to record all my exercise efforts and it allows me to not only record the things I have done, but it also motivates me to share and compete those challenges with friends.

In addition, there are many other ways of challenging yourself to be the best you can be. The internet has many websites where walking challenges can be undertaken individually or as part of a group. Time Outdoors is one such website that offers many different challenges for enthusiasts to get outdoors and enjoy. Most of these events support a charity and as a result, they become all the more reason you should sign up and enjoy.

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