While we at Get Up And Do Something love fitness, we know it can be overwhelming at times. We are constantly bombarded with ads for expensive gym memberships or programs, or for the newest workout gear or cute yoga outfit. You might be left feeling like you don’t have enough or you’re not doing enough for your fitness. Today, we’re taking it back to basics and highlighting one of the best and easiest ways to support your health: Walking.
The Physcial Benefits of Walking:
- Burns calories and can help to lose or maintain weight
- Can help lower blood sugar (walking after meals!)
- Strengthens immune system
- Improves muscle strength and endurance
- Reduce muscle tension
- Helps to prevent or manage health conditions like heart disease or diabetes
The Mental Benefits of Walking:
- Reduces stress
- Eases anxiety and depression
- Supports emotional connectedness and wellbeing when walking with a buddy or in nature
- Improves cognitive functioning
- Helps to maintain emotional regulation
- Allows time for creative thinking and problem solving
You don’t need the newest fitness gadget or hottest outfit to get these amazing benefits, you just need some time and supportive shoes! The perks of walking, like any exercise, are most noticeable the more you do it. Need some tips to get you out the door for your daily walk? Try these!
- Prep a playlist or make plans to walk with someone/a walking group.
- Choose new places. Pick a new park or part of town, or just tweak your normal route – keeping yourself stimulated will help you keep your habit.
- Start small. A good time frame to shoot for would be a 30-60 minute walk a day. However, if our goal is just to get moving, sometimes telling yourself you’ll only go for 5 minutes will get you over the initial hurdle of getting outside. Once you’re there, odds are you’ll want to stay out longer!
Written by GUADS staff member Kate with contributions from www.mayoclinic.org
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