The Wonders of Walking

November 18, 2009 by foynet  
Filed under Anti-aging basics

When you talk about the ways to stay young, exercise usually comes first on the list. Health is the best way to fight the usual wear and tear your body goes through. Being healthy isn’t at all complicated as what many people believe it to be. Saunter the road to fitness by simply putting one foot ahead of the other.

When you find that you don’t have much time to walk, you can take advantage of those few moments in your life to burn some calories and work out those muscles. Walking works because you actually don’t need to go to the gym to do it. This is actually the perfect solution for those with tight schedules. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or opting to walk that last leg of your commute will do you a lot of good. Walking controls your blood pressure, aids in keeping your weight down, and increases the risk of a heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and several other diseases simply because it boosts the production of good cholesterol in your system. It also improves breathing, strengthens bones, muscles, and joints. Moreover, it puts you in a better mood by working on your overall sense of wellbeing.

To reap the full benefits of walking, you must make sure that you do the exercise properly. The perfect walking form can be achieved by tucking your core, keeping your back straight, and swinging your arms back and forth for propulsion and balance. Brisk walking for at least 30 minutes a day five times a week is highly recommended if you really want to feel your body getting stronger. Research actually reveals that jogging and walking burn just as many calories when measured mile for mile. So when you don’t want to get into high-impact exercises, this is the perfect answer.

When done religiously, walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise to burn fat and to get you in shape. Because it involves a lot of leg work, you also have to find ways to make use of your upper body. Pump your arms while walking to tone up and use more arm muscle. To maximize your calories burn, walk in incline intervals on the treadmill. If you are outdoors, stop every so often to do 15 to 15 squats or lunges. To increase in speed, an increase in pace rather stride is advised. The more distance you cover, the more energy you use up. And if you want every step to matter, make sure that you have the right pair of rubber shoes on. If you get those that are meant for walking or running, you have to realize that the built-in technology increases the muscle activity in your legs. This means that circulation is enhanced, impact is softened, and joints are kept well protected.

You’ll definitely see a marked improvement on your health if you decide to embrace walking as part of your daily routine. Moreover, it’s a whole lot better than just staying in bed all day and doing nothing. You may as well watch your body deteriorate when you do this.