It’s obvious that moving more is good for you, and you can’t get more basic than going for a good ol’ fashioned walk. What’s not to love? It’s free, you can do it with no equipment, it’s accessible to most and it’s rather good for you – and walking is pretty good for weight loss.
But why is it good for you? How does it contribute to your weight loss goals? What’s the best way to do it for maximum efficiency? And how do you stop it from being so boring? Put your walking shoes on and let’s find out…
Why is walking good for us?
Walking is an underrated way of getting active as it can be easy going. But it is a fantastic way of getting active and improving your fitness. Regular walking is good for your heart. It can help to prevent heart disease and high blood pressure.
It can also strengthen your bones, improve your balance and may even boost your mood. It’s a great low-impact exercise that doesn’t put stress on your joints.
Walking for weight loss
If you’re walking to help you achieve your weight loss goals, a gentle stroll won’t have much of an impact. Instead, you need to make sure that you walk fast enough and long enough to have an effect.
What do I need to start walking?
Not much. The main thing is to get some good trainers.
Figure out where you’re going and take a bottle of water, especially when it’s hot out. You should also slap on the sun cream if it’s hot, because burnt to a crisp is not a good look.
You mean you want me to walk when I’m not even going anywhere?!
If you think aimless walking to get your steps in sounds like no fun, I get you. For all its virtues, walking as a form of exercise can be a bit boring, unless you’re lucky enough to live near a particularly scenic route. Luckily there are ways of making it a bit more fun…
Geocaching
Perfect for a weekend walk, geocaching adds a bit of excitement to what would otherwise be your run of the mill walk.
Catch up on a good book
You definitely shouldn’t walk around with your nose in a paperback, unless you want to get up close and personal with a few lampposts.
Audiobooks
Podcasts
Finding a good route
One of the reasons walking is a good option is because you can do it anywhere. But because you can doesn’t mean that you want to. A walk through the industrial part of town is not quite as appealing as a traipse through the lush countryside.
Even if you think walking is too gentle for you (check you out!), every little helps when it comes to upping your activity, so lace up your trainers and get out there.
