Are you looking to boost your health? Whether your end goal is to lose weight, tone up, gain some muscle, or just feel healthier overall, walking is a great way to do so.
If you’re under the impression that walking won’t really help you out, think again. Walking has been proven to improve both your mental and physical health.
Walking regularly can reduce your risk of many health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney disease.
Walking also keeps your bones happy and can slow down or completely prevent osteoporosis.
A good brisk walk will also release ‘happy hormones’ so if you can spare the time in your morning routine it is a great way to set up a positive mood and mindset for the day.
Be Kind To Your Body
If you’re looking to start boosting your health but want to find a low-effort easy option to start with, walking is the perfect exercise.
And what’s great is that as you build your strength, you change many factors including route, pace, and inclines to up the difficulty.
Because you can really set walking to whatever level you are comfortable with there’s no excuse; If you are physically able, you need to be walking, it’s really that simple.
Walking can not only make you slimmer but it can also make you stronger.
Walking supports your weight which means that you won’t find yourself with badly strained joints.
This makes walking a great choice which will be gentle for your body if you are not used to regularly exercising.
Walking is also free which makes it a great option.
Walking For Weight Loss
Since walking is such an easy option, which is free to do, it’s no surprise that it has found itself the topic of countless research studies.
And the good news is that scientific research says that walking is proven to help you lose weight.
At the University of Pittsburgh, a study proved just how well walking can help lose weight.
Several overweight individuals were monitored, half made no changes to their current diet habits or exercise routines, while the other half simply added a 30-60 minute moderately-brisk walk per day.
The group that made no changes unsurprisingly had no changes to their weight.
However, those who had added just one walk a day to their schedule all lost a substantial amount of weight.
This comes as good news to those who don’t like the idea of diets, as this study proved that just solely adding walking to your daily routine can help you drop the pounds.
This is due to the calorie deficit created from the brisk walk.
Burning Calories
Walking for as little as 45 minutes a day (as long as it’s at a moderately brisk pace) means you can cover as much as 4 kilometers a time.
A 4k walk can burn up to 250 calories. Now you may think that doesn’t sound like much, after all some chocolate bars contain more calories than that, but don’t be discouraged.
250 calories a day is 1750 calories a week. Keep it up for two weeks and you’ve burnt 3500 calories which is the equivalent of losing a quarter of a kilo of fat!
Sometimes it can be easy to convince yourself that it’s not worth doing when you look at progress from session to session.
Keep in mind that that little bit extra is still always better than nothing. A roundtrip 45-minute walk can have you losing between 0.5-1 kilo per week though, and you’ll be surprised by the difference that makes over a couple of months.
Losing weight takes patience and determination.
Start A Walking Routine
Setting yourself a walking routine is a great way to form the habit. If you incorporate it into your daily routine and at the same time where possible, you’ll find it easier to keep yourself going.
Procrastination is an easy thing to fall into, and without a schedule, you’ll tend to find yourself repeating the phrase ‘I’ll do it later.’ Later never tends to come around.
When it comes to picking your route, I would honestly just start with somewhere fairly close that is a moderately flat terrain.
If there are any scenic routes, opt for these as it just makes the walk that much nicer and enjoyable.
You want to be aiming to walk around 3mph or walking about a mile in around 20 minutes to be walking at a pace that will help boost your health.
Another great way to motivate and challenge yourself is to use a pedometer to keep track of how far you’re walking, how many steps you’re taking, and how many calories you’re burning.
Throughout the months you can try and build yourself up to 10,000 steps which is the equivalent of burning around 1000 calories.
Final Thoughts
Walking as much as 45 minutes per day can certainly help boost your health.
Not only can it help you burn calories and shred the pounds in a gentle and fairly easy manner, but it can also improve your mental health by releasing happy hormones and improving your mood.
It can also help prevent heart and kidney issues, as well as keep your bones healthy and strong.
So what are you waiting for? Grab some headphones and walking shoes and get going by yourself, take the dog for an adventure, or go power walking with a friend or family member.
Nothing is stopping you.
Remember that you can set the pace, and take it as slow as you need to at the beginning.
A little is always better than nothing, and with regular practice, you’ll be able to improve your endurance in no time!
Hi, my name is Joshua Damie and I am a nutrition coach living in Colorado. Throughout my time in this profession - six years, to be exact - I have seen countless people suffering from health conditions such as digestive issues, skin disorders, heart health, and more.
These people were suffering from various different issues surrounding their ailments, which could be fixed with some professional advice. Luckily, I was able to give them this and help at least some of their troubles fade away.
My wife suffers from many joint issues, and she also feels helpless sometimes at how much they impact her life. The little relief I can give her with my professional advice is unmatched.
The sense of pride I get when I see her pain ease up slightly from my recommendation is the exact reason why I created this website. I want to help others on a wider spectrum, and the internet is the perfect way to do just that.
