Fitness: Walking can be a family affair for aerobic exercise, family fitness, and reduction of stress. Walking together is good for family fitness, physically and emotionally.

Family Site Since 1997

Fitness and Health

Walking Is a Lifetime Exercise

By Rob McLean

Fitness: Walking is accessible and an inexpensive path to health and fitness.

The role of fitness in health:
 

A very common expression is, "Walking is a lifetime exercise." This is true.

Walking is a good exercise for people of any age, fitness level, body build, energy level, etc. It might even be said "walk and be healthy and physically fit."

What makes it such a good fitness exercise for the masses? 

• Walking is basic daily movement.
• Walking is accessible.
• Walking is inexpensive.
• Walking is virtually injury free.

In addition, there are two other benefits of walking:

1. Walking can be as intensive a workout as you make it.

2. Walking gives quick results.

In about two weeks of regular walks, blood pressure begins to drop.

With another week or two of walking as an exercise, unless you increase fat intake, cholesterol counts are lowered.

With each month of walking your heart and lungs become stronger and more efficient. Your resting pulse rate decreases, too, a sign of better health. Even your bones will become stronger.

Keep walking and don't change your diet. You will lose a pound or two per month. Reduce your calorie intake slightly and lose even more.

Why?

1. You burn calories when you walk. The faster you walk, the more calories you burn in a set time period. 

2. Your metabolism stays slightly higher for a few hours after you exercise, burning even more calories.

3. Your lean muscle mass increases and burns even more calories! 

Better yet, you have a good chance of maintaining that weight loss if you continue your walks. Research has shown that 90% of people who walked regularly kept off lost weight while only 34% of the non-walkers maintained their weight loss.

Walking offers the benefits of aerobic exercises in general such as:

• Cardiovascular benefits.
• Disease prevention (heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, and hypertension to name a few).
• Psychological benefits such as reduced depression, anxiety, and tension.
• Increased energy.
• Toned muscles.

You will also seem younger, longer. A lot of what we have always considered signs of aging: loss of strength, increased body fat, decreased energy, has now been shown to be merely signs of inactivity.

Walking is a great creativity booster. That's because walking and thinking seem to go hand-in-hand.

Walking and talking also mesh. It's a great way to get to know someone else. A slow, talk-filled, hand-holding walk in the woods makes a wonderful, romantic date for spouses or for singles who are exploring each other.

Unfortunately, all these great benefits require your participation. Nothing happens until you leave your couch, don your walking shoes, and step through the door.

A good walking program requires your setting goals and making a commitment to follow the program. Like all goals, your program should be written with measurable results.

More information about health and fitness issues

How fast should you walk? Start slow and pick up the pace gradually until you have a feeling  of exertion during your walk and pleasant fatigue at the end.

How often should you walk? 30 minutes, at least four-five times weekly, at 60 to 80% of your maximum heart rate is a good rule of thumb.

Everyone is different and you may be taking medicine or have some other reason to use another approach. So check with your doctor before you start your walking routine or any other form of exercising.

Additional information about health and fitness.