Why is walking good for you?
Walking is actually one of the best exercises you can do for weight loss, especially if you do a brisk walk (3mph) for between 10 and 30 minutes per day.
In order to burn fat your heart rate needs to be in the aerobic zone, or what I refer to as a brisk walking, or light jogging pace, so you shouldn’t be out of breath, but you shouldn’t be able to breathe through your nose either. It should be reasonably comfortable to hold a conversation at this pace.
How can you add more steps into your day?
We all live busy lives and some of you may think that you won’t be able to add in any extra walking into your already busy schedule, but you’ll be surprised how easy this can be and I’ll give you some tips below:
1.If you tend to use the lift instead of the stairs, have a think of why you do this. Has it become habit? Is it because the floor you need to get to is several floors up? Did you know that climbing the stairs for just 2 minutes per day is equivalent to jogging for 10 minutes per day? Has this changed your mind about using the stairs.
2. If you work in an office and get the bus to work, do you get off the bus closest to the office? Why don’t you get off a stop earlier and do the same at the end of the day? This all adds up! When I worked in an office I worked long hours and didn’t have time to get to the gym, so I would get off the bus 2 miles away from the office and jog in and do the same at the end of the day. This is great if your office provides showers. If not, there is nothing stopping you from doing it on the way home!
3. What do you do at lunch time? If you’re reading this thinking ‘I don’t have one’, ‘I sit at my desk and surf the Internet’, or ‘I sit in the staff canteen and read’, change your habits and even if it’s just for 20 minutes get out of the office, or house and get a brisk walk in. You will have more energy and you will feel far more productive during the afternoon.
4. If you work in an office, you probably spend the majority of your day sat down. Instead of saving your printing and photocopying until the end of the day, make the effort to collect it each time you need it.
5. Staying on the office theme, if you need to use the toilet, if there are floors above or below you, use one of those so you are forced to use the stairs.
6. If you don’t already have one, consider purchasing a fitness tracker, such as a Fitbit. Not only can you set this to remind you to do 250 steps each hour, but you can do fun challenges with friends. For example, who can do the most steps during the working week? This can get very competitive, but it’s also fun and a great way to get you walking more.
7. Walk the dog and if you don’t have one, ask a friend or family member if you can take theirs for a walk. An average dog walk will add around 3000 steps to your daily count, and you’ll likely have an enjoyable experience doing it.
8. Do you drive the kids to school? Why? When I ask this question some people do have valid reasons, like having to get straight off to work, but most people say it’s because they were running late. I’m a mum myself, so I know sometimes it’s not always easy, but with the warmer weather on the horizon (hopefully), try and do this at least twice per week. It’s National Walk to School Week from 20-25 May 2019, so let’s all try and do it that week!
9. Get the whole family involved. On a fine day at the weekend find a nice walk and take a picnic. There are so many beautiful places out there. Don’t just do the same old stuff every weekend. Current statistics by Public Health England suggest that kids and adults will be obese by 2034. Let’s reverse this by walking more and leaving the technology at home!
What you need
Just make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes, or trainers. If you’re walking to work there’s no reason why you can’t wear your normal work clothes with your trainers and keep your work shoes in the office.
If you’re doing longer walking however, you may want to invest in walking boots/shoes, waterproofs, sunscreen for the summer, a hat and water.
Staying motivated
If you’re not used to walking, or doing it alone, listen to music. Add a playlist of some of your favourite music. I have lots of motivational playlists on my Spotify account, which I update regularly. I have shared a few here. https://open.spotify.com/user/djz1qf79iryhmzse92goso5le/playlist/1myITHlG22Ra9ALl6l1a0D?si=VxXe7hfVQmywGO4s0eoRTA
Another way to stay motivated is a form of mindfulness. Practice habit releases. On a slightly cloudy day you can make shapes out of the clouds. On a clear, sunny day you can count how many planes you can see overhead.
What are the benefits of walking?
- Walking helps you to maintain a healthy weight
- It can help prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure
- It releases endorphins, so can improve your mood
- It can help strengthen your bones and muscles
