“Walking is man’s best medicine” – Hippocrates
Walking is one exercise I recommend to most of my patients because it’s very easy to do, requires nothing but a pair of comfortable shoes, and has tremendous mental and physical benefits. Incorporating a bit of walking into your daily routine is great habit to form- especially in the summer months, when you can enjoy the outdoors and make the most of the beautiful weather and longer days.
BENEFITS:
- Regular walking helps to stay in shape and maintain a healthy weight and positive body image, especially when combined with healthy eating
- Brisk walking trains your heart, lungs and muscles to work more efficiently
- Walking reduces fatigue, increases energy and refreshes your mind
- Walking boosts mood, relieves stress and tension
- Walking provides an enjoyable time for socializing and connecting with friends or family
- Regular, brisk walking can reduce elevated blood pressure and improve circulation
- Regular walking routine can greatly improve gastric motility and elimination
- Walking is a natural movement that is virtually injury-free
- Regular walking can improve your quality of sleep
- Walking outdoors exposes you to sunlight and Vitamin D, which can help stave off seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.)
- Walking strengthens bones and helps prevent or control osteoporosis
- Walking reduces your risk of getting cognitive illnesses like dementia and Alzheimer’s
- Walking gives you time to reflect, collect your thoughts and gets the creative juices flowing
READY, SET, WALK!
A LITTLE WALKING EVERY DAY is one of the best and easiest things you can do for your health. Aim to make brisk short walks a daily event (at least 15 minutes), with longer walks (45 to 60 minutes) every second day.
EXPLORE A VARIETY OF ROUTES and choose ones that are interesting, safe and convenient. Head to a park or trail and surround yourself with the serene beauty of nature, which calms the nervous system and has extra mood-boosting benefits!
WALKING WITH OTHERS can be more motivating than walking alone. Why not join a walking club or ask a neighbour or family member to accompany you.
You can design your own walking program by gradually increasing the frequency, time and distance you walk. Make sure to get comfortable walking shoes, warm up and cool down with 5 minutes of slower-paced walking, followed by some stretches for your legs. This will prevent stiffness and increase flexibility.
STEP IT UP:
5 Ways to Increase Your Steps
- Walk partway or all the way to and from work/school
- Walk to the store or to do errands
- Walk up the stairs, instead of using an elevator or escalator
- Walk around the block at lunchtime or on a work break
- Walk a dog (borrow your neighbour’s if you don’t have one)
4 Ways to Increase the Intensity of your Walking
- SPEED WALKING: Breathe normally and swing your arms as you speed up your pace. Practice over short distances and build your time incrementally as you get used to a new way of using your body posture, arms, feet, and legs.
- WATER WALKING: Walking in the water provides resistance, making your muscles work harder to move forward. At the same time, the water provides buoyancy, helping reduce strain to your joints. It’s also refreshingly cool in hot summer weather.
- CLIMBING: Adding hills or going up the stairs is the most vigorous form of walking. Increase gradually and work your way up (pun intended). Climbing puts extra strain on the gluts, lower back and leg muscles, so add some additional stretches to warm-up these muscles.
- INTERVALS: A quick way to get the most out of your walking workout is to challenge your body with interval training. By increasing the incline or pace for short intervals, you can build up your strength and cardio endurance.
With its wide range of benefits and pleasures, walking is more than just a method of transportation; it can improve your fitness, health and emotional well-being.
