Physical Health - Walking
Walking is wonderful exercise. It is one of the most easily accessible forms of exercise that there is and can be one of the most sociable. It is a great way to keep healthy and improve fitness. It helps you to get into shape by burning calories. A nine and a half stone person walking at 3 mph burns about 99 calories every half hour. At a brisk walking pace of 4 mph that person will burn about 150 calories.
Walking makes you feel happier
It also reduces depression and anxiety, promotes psychological well-being and reduces stress. It will make you feel more energetic and may help you sleep better.
It can be a gentle form of exercise that helps with recovery from illness or injury. It can relieve back pain and improve symptoms of osteoarthritis. It strengthens legs, lowers blood pressure, improves blood circulation and strengthens the immune system. Walking is a low impact and low intensity form of exercise that is easily available wherever you live. You can make it part of your everyday exercise package. Walking to the shops, walking round town, walking to friends instead of taking the car are all ways of incorporating the activity into your daily life.
Walking can become much more than an exercise filler or remedy for aches and pains. There are walking groups that choose to go 20 mile hikes every weekend over mountainous terrain. Some people choose to go on walking holidays aboard. Power walking is a challenging cardiovascular workout that will quickly improve muscle tone in your entire lower body as well as upper back and shoulders. It blasts fat and calories at almost the same as jogging but with only half the impact on your joints.
There are many social groups who encourage people to walk and talk at the same time. It is a great way to get to know knew people. Some groups have walks of various lengths and difficulties. Some walk to a local pub has a meal and walk back to the starting point. The aim is to get to know people, to get some exercise and get out in the fresh air. The Ramblers association is a useful first contact if you are thinking or joining such a group.
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Note: 4 Elderly health provides this site for information purposes only and insists that you should consult a doctor before engaging in anything mentioned here.