Walking for fun and fitness Walking for good health

Walking for fun and fitness Walking for good health

How many times we have made resolutions to engage in some sort of physical activity to keep us fit and failed to keep our promises. Yes, Gyms are expensive, we do not have time, I am too old to go to a gym.

Today, I am going to recommend you a simple fitness solution. Which is walking.

Walking is an excellent exercise to improve and maintain our health. Just 30 minutes of regular walk can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat and boost muscle power and endurance. Walking is free and doesn’t require any special equipment or training.

You can get out and walk without worrying about some of the risks associated with other more vigorous forms of exercise. It’s also a great form of physical activity for people who are overweight, elderly or those who haven’t exercised in a long time.

Walking pose little health risk but, if you have a medical condition, check with your doctor before you begin.

To get the health benefits, try to walk for at least 30 minutes as briskly as you can most days of the week. ‘Brisk’ means that you can still talk but not sing, and you may be puffing slightly.

Wear a pedometer
A pedometer measures the number of steps you take. You can use it to measure your movement throughout a day and compare it to other days or to recommended steps. This may motivate you to move more. The recommended number of steps accumulated per day to achieve health benefits is 10,000 steps or more.

Walking alone
There are various ways to make sure that your daily walk doesn’t become boring.
If you want to stick close to home and limit your walking to neighbourhood streets, pick different routes so you don’t get tired of seeing the same sights.
If you feel unsafe walking alone, find one or more friends or family members to walk with.

Walk at various times of the day. The sights you see early morning are bound to be different to those of the afternoon or early evening.

Drive to different reserves, park the car and enjoy the views while you walk.
A dog that needs regular exercise gives you the motivation to walk every day. You might like the companionship too. If you don’t have a dog, and aren’t planning on getting one, consider offering to walk a neighbour’s dog from time to time.

Walking with others
Walking with others can turn a bout of exercise into an enjoyable social occasion.
Schedule a regular family walk - this is a great way to pass on healthy habits to your children and spend time together, while getting fit at the same time
If walking with children, make sure the route and length of time spent walking is appropriate to their age.

Babies and young toddlers enjoy long walks in the pram. Take the opportunity to point out items of interest to them, such as vehicles, flowers and other pedestrians.

Look for the self-guided nature walks, which have been set up in many parks. Younger children enjoy looking for the next numbered post; older ones can learn about the plants and animals of the park, and perhaps take photos or record their experience in other ways.

Ask neighbours or friends if they would like to join you on your walks. You could have a regular ‘beat’ around the neighbourhood, or meet at various reserves.

Safety suggestions
Walking is generally a safe way to exercise, but look out for unexpected hazards.
Remember to warm up and cool down to reduce the risk of injuries.
Wear sunglasses, sunscreen, a long-sleeved shirt and a hat to avoid sunburn.
Carry a walking stick or umbrella to fend off unleashed, unfriendly dogs.
Wear appropriate footwear to reduce the risk of blisters.
Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after your walk.


Benefits of walking
To conclude, walking is an excellent exercise to maintain our health. Walking improves cardiovascular, heart and lung fitness, reduces risk of heart disease and stroke, improves management of hypertension, high cholesterol, joint and muscular pain or stiffness, and diabetes. It reduces body fat and increases muscle strength and endurance. Let us not have any more reasons not to keep our resolution of becoming fit.

Regards,
Pradeep John Farias
CPA Australia, ACMA (CIMA,UK)
Melbourne, Australia