Walking has many benefits. It helps you lose weight, protects your heart and can be an excellent remedy for joint pain.
People often think that this is not a form of movement, but rather a way of recreation, but it is not completely true. If you increase your pace a little and feel your feet burning at some point, it's a sign that walking does its job, just like an exercise in the gym.
Remember that exercise does not always mean a lake of sweat around you. And walking can be an effective form of exercise, if you do it daily and, especially, if you speed up a bit. In addition, it is a wonderful therapy for the heart and figure - walking burns calories and puts the heart muscle to work!
Walking keeps your heart young
If you walk for 30 minutes every day, at a steady pace, your heart will only win.
How do you know you have a fast pace? Simple: while walking, you can talk, but you can't sing, because your lung capacity doesn't have enough strength to support your effort - but it's improved as you continue to exercise regularly.
If you find it difficult to walk for half an hour, you can divide these sessions into 5, 10 or 15 minutes, depending on how comfortable you feel. And it is not necessary to go at a brisk pace from the beginning, studies show.
You can walk 3-5 minutes easily, without forcing yourself, then continue for 15-20 minutes at a faster pace, and at the end, for 3-5 minutes, slow down again. It is important to be safe, but at the same time to get your body moving.
If you feel strong and your body allows you, you can go in an inclined plane, you can climb stairs or you can combine light jogging sessions with walking.
It is not for nothing that it is said that walking is the most complex and accessible exercise: it does not cost you anything, you can do it anywhere, you do not need special equipment, it trains your entire muscles and does not present any contraindications.
Walk and lose weight
Combined with a balanced diet, walking can help you lose a few pounds or maintain your body weight. But it is very important to seek the advice of a nutritionist or sports nutritionist, who can help you with dietary and exercise advice, so that the calories consumed are effectively metabolized through exercise, including walking.
To lose weight, a "sitting" walk should take about 60 minutes, experts say - the first 10 in a light-moderate rhythm, the next 40-50 in a fast pace, and the last 10 minutes, again in a light rhythm.
Beneficial for muscles and joints
Even if you don't have the strength to exercise hard or walk at a brisk pace, walking at your own pace, as you feel good, helps you improve your flexibility and muscular endurance.
Also, walking is the best "lubricant" for the joints. Studies have shown that walking regularly is very beneficial if you experience arthritis or other joint, knee, ankle and hip conditions.
According to research by scientists at the University of Bedfordshire, a 20-minute walk helps regulate blood sugar in obese people and significantly increases energy levels, while promoting good mood.
Don't worry if you can't reach the goal of 10,000 steps a day. It is important to start somewhere and, as the kilograms melt and your body becomes lighter, you will notice that your endurance will be much improved and the number of steps will certainly increase.