How many times in your life have you planned to go on a regular exercise schedule and failed repeatedly? Regular exercise, though is great for health, isn’t really the most feasible option in our already-so-busy day to day life. We hardly get anytime for such schedules. And this failure of exercising is what has apparently lead us to be fat, sick, unhealthy and inefficient individuals. This has also exponentially increased the number of people suffering from various diseases like heart problems, diabetes, obesity etc. but there obviously is a way out of this problem. Also, let us not forget how you have always craved for that awesomely toned body and that perfect figure but you are too lazy to really work that out. What if I tell you that the solution to all your problems is walking? By that I don’t mean that you have to spend an hour in park daily to walk it out. No, you just have to make walking a general habit and see how it changes your life. Walk wherever and whenever you can. Avoid a vehicle to reach somewhere when the place you need to go is at a walking distance. Wake up early and walk your kid to school. Walk when you are going to shop vegetables or groceries. These walking habit will not help you get what you can’t because of not exercising but will also save your time. Also, it is easy, free and low impact so that people of all age and abilities can do it. In my article I am going to talk about the benefits of walking and also what is the right way to walk so that you get the maximum benefit out of it.
First of all walking is extremely good for your heart. It helps in keeping away all heart diseases. It reduces the Low density lipoprotein (LPL) cholesterol also known as the “bad cholesterol” and increases the high density lipoprotein (HPL) cholesterol also known as the “good cholesterol”. It also keeps your blood pressure at check. In fact, experts say that nearly 30 minutes of brisk walking can help reduce the risk of getting heart strokes by 27 percent. Walking also helps in tackling various other diseases like diabetes, asthma, and cancers of colon, breast and womb. Regular walking in fact reduces risk of diabetes by about 60 percent. Dementia is a broad category of brain diseases that causes problem in the daily functioning of an individual. It causes problems like long term lost in the ability to think and reason clearly in a person. According to scientist, people who walk for more than six miles a week have a lot less chance of getting affected by any such brain disorder. They can avoid brain shrinkage and so can preserve memory for a longer period of time. Also, when you are walking outside in day light you are giving a boost to the level Vitamin-D in your body. It is great because Vitamin-D otherwise is very difficult to get from food and is equally essential for our bodies and plays a big role in everything from bone health to immunity. Walking also strengthens bones and increases their density and is considered a great exercise for women. It keeps way joint pains and problems such as arthritis. What else? A brisk walk also helps you energize yourself. It increases blood circulation and oxygen supply to each and every part of your body and leaves you feeling fresh and alert. So the next time you feel lazy and tired, just take a nice walk outside. I know it might sound weird and ironical to you but trust me it works. Perhaps, a little music along with it would be a great combination!
And then comes the major concern of our generation: weight! Yes, walking contributes to weight loss. Walking regularly will burn enough calories in your body to keep your weight in check. Also it increases your muscle mass and tones and the more muscles you have the faster your metabolism and hence you will burn even more calories. A nice walk in proper posture can tone and strengthen your legs, reduce your waist and tummy and tone your abs too. If you add hills to your walking it might give a great shape to your calves, quads, hamstrings and buttock muscles. But to enjoy all these benefits to the maximum, you have to what experts preferably call ‘conscious walking’. You have to pay great attention to your posture while walking. Make sure your body is straight with maximum gap between your ears and shoulders. Relax your shoulders, pull in your tummy and push out your hips. As if you are trying to balance something on your hips. As you walk like this your shoulders will naturally rotate and this will do great good to reducing your waist and giving it a good shape. You should hold your arms at a comfortable level and bend them slightly at the elbow. Keep swinging them back and forth, this will help you maintain your speed while walking and also help in toning your arms, shoulders and upper back. Having said all that, I would also like to add that walking acts as anti-depressant too, that is it helps reducing stress and anxiety by releasing feel good endorphins in the bloodstream. According to experts, it is one of the best ways to stay away from the feelings of isolation and loneliness. So why wait when such pool of health benefits waits you. Just go out and start walking!
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