Tired of running to catch up?

Try Walking!

Improve your health. Lose weight. Stress less and smile more.

Who knew? Walking holds all the winning cards in life.

Improve Your Health
The medical benefits of Walking read like a must do list:
Lower risk of heart attack, cancer, stroke and diabetes.
Encourage good cholesterol and help to control blood pressure.
Reduce arthritis and back pain.
Protect against hip fracture and gallbladder attacks.

How simple, but amazingly effective – something that can be done anytime, anywhere, with very little equipment, has the power to really improve your life. Start a Walking plan now and the next time you do your annual check-up you may have a whole new set of good numbers to smile about.

We all walk a little, but it might be time to consider where could you walk more? Start thinking about your schedule and the miles covered. Could some of it be done on foot? At work, at lunch, near the office, down a country lane on the weekend, through your favourite garden, around the park?

If you have health issues talk with your doctor first, then implement the best plan for you. With Walking it’s easy, you can start as slow as you wish and build daily, and injuries are much less likely.

Lose Weight and Keep it off
Paired with a healthy diet, Walking on a daily basis can help you lose weight and, equally important, keep it off. With the use of a pedometer you can count every step you take and estimate calories burned. A pound of fat equals 3500 calories. To erase that pound you need to design a lower calorie diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and less fats that appeals to you and lop off additional calories with every mile that you walk. A 180 pound person burns about 100 calories per mile. This is not an instant weight loss program, but it is one that works and keeps on working to get you where you want to go. Once you get started you will probably find that diet and exercise inspire each other.

Stress Less…Smile More
Walking also improves attitude. A sense of wellbeing, enhanced sleep and a better frame of mind emerge. Sometimes all it takes is a brisk walk to put a new face on a bad day. Some people regard their walks as a form of meditation. The simple act of stepping out the door and putting one foot in front of the other can set your mind free. No need to answer telephones, reply to cohorts, manoeuvre through traffic. Answers to nagging problems, responses to real worries, ideas for new projects may all look different or even get solved as you pursue your Walking.

It’s so Easy
Comfortable walking shoes with good support are first on the list. No breaking in should be needed. From there you could add a pedometer and a hat for sunny days, plus a few guides for special places that you have always intended to explore. Enlisting a friend or volunteering to walk a pet can help firm up the routine. If the weather is discouraging, many walkers have a back-up plan Walking at an enclosed shopping centre or other large sheltered area. Treadmills at the gym or at home can help too. We have a friend who puts his dog on the treadmill when it is raining. They take turns.

You might start Walking twenty minutes a day and build it up to an hour a day. Or you might walk a mile with the long range goal of doing five miles a day. Evaluate where you are right now, and plan a course that fits you. Don’t try to set new records first time out. This should be a pleasure, not a pain, something that you enjoy turning to on a regular basis.

The best part? No matter how you structure it, you are apt to walk off with some very real rewards!

Sandy Schroeder for Third Age.

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