If you want to get your exercise in and stay healthy but only run when chased and don’t consider yourself much of a weight-lifter or group exercise class goer, you’ve still got a great low-budget option open to you: walking. Anyone can do it, and it has multiple benefits.
- It’s good for your body. Not only is walking easy on your joints, as opposed to running, it helps stop the loss of bone mass for those dealing with osteoporosis — it even supports your joints through the motion. Walking just 30 minutes a day reduced the possibility of hip fractures in postmenopausal women by a whopping 40 percent. That same 30 minutes can also reduce stroke risk by 20 percent, and women who walk one to two miles a day lowered their blood pressure nearly 11 points in 24 weeks.
- It has great takeaways. That is, it helps lower your weight over time if you walk at a brisk pace (and keep it off if you keep it up), and it slows mental decline and lessens the risk of Alzheimer’s. You have to put in the miles — try to get in at least a mile or two per day at a good pace — but the benefits should definitely help you get moving. Not to mention that it strengthens core and leg muscles as well, lessening arthritis pain and increasing your range of motion.
- It has great add-ons. Want to have a longer life? Start walking. Those who walk regularly in their 50s and 60s are 35 percent likelier to outlive their non-exercising companions over the next eight years. It can also add to your sleep, staving off insomnia, and it simply improves your mood from the natural release of endorphins, the “feel-good” hormone. Walking also builds up your overall endurance.
- How do I get it done? First of all, you don’t have to get 30 minutes in all at the same time — if you do three ten-minute walking sessions a day, you’ll still get the benefits (and you may even go a little faster than you would on a longer walk). Get a walking buddy, whether human or canine, and you’ll find yourself much more likely to head out the door. Or make yourself an upbeat mix to get yourself moving and grooving. Explore a new route or park to mix it up.
So many of us take this basic skill for granted, but now that you know the many benefits, figure out for yourself how to take your first steps toward a healthier you.
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