Walking

-

Walking may be the simplest and oldest way to work out. You can do it almost anywhere, and it’s a snap to get started: Just put one foot in front of the other. Especially with the threat of the health crisis we face walking is not only exercise but it's good for the mind.
There are many great reasons to walk. Your heart will get stronger, you’ll lower your blood pressure, and your bones will get stronger. Walking also eases stress, helps you sleep better, and can boost your outlook on life. If you have any of those problems it may be because you're not walking enough. How much is enough?  The answer will probably be different for everyone.  What the experts do know is that the average person walks 4000 or 5000 steps a day. And they also know that's not enough to keep you healthy. Remember  that is just and average that doesn't take into consideration your size of your age. Personally, I think if you walk 30 minutes a day more then you walk now that might be enough to give you the cardio your heart needs. 
Walk at a brisk pace for 30 minutes or more on most days. Do it alone or with a friend. Try a walking club or recruit your family for an after-dinner walk. All you need is a pair of walking shoes. I walk with my dog. If your dog likes to walk and can do 30 minutes, he'll make a good partner. I have a big dog and they love to walk. 

Intensity Level: Low

You can match your pace to your fitness level. For a more intense workout, try walking faster, longer, or uphill.

Areas It Targets

Core: No. Walking doesn’t specifically target your core.
Arms: No. This workout doesn’t target your arms.
Legs: Yes. Walking works the major muscles in your legs.
Glutes: Yes. Walking uphill is great for your glutes.
Back: No. This workout doesn’t focus on your back muscles.

Type

Flexibility: No. This workout is not focused on improving flexibility.
Aerobic: Yes. Keep up a brisk pace to make it a good cardio workout.
Strength: Yes. Your legs will get stronger from walking regularly.
Sport: No. Race-walking is a sport, and you can often find charity walks to do with a group of people, but for most people, walking is not competitive.
Low-Impact: Yes. Walking won't jar your joints.





What Else Should I Know?

Cost: Free.
Good for beginners? Yes. Walking is an ideal type of exercise when you're just getting started. You can go as fast or as slow as you need. It’s easy to bump up your pace and go longer distances as you get better.
Outdoors: Yes. You can walk around your neighborhood, on a school track, or through a nature trail. If the weather is bad, try walking in a mall.
At home: Yes.You can walk anywhere. If you have a treadmill, you can even walk indoors.
Equipment required? None, except for your walking shoes. Opt for shoes that support your arch and slightly elevate your heel.
After you get use to walking 30 minutes, I would do some dumb bell exercises for 10 or 15 minutes. It's important to do some weight training for your upper body. Try to do this immediately after your walk. You'll find some good exercises for beginners on the internet.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What's the Mediterranean Diet?

-
Image
The Mediterranean diet is based on the traditional foods eaten by people living in the Mediterranean region, especially Greece. It's loaded with healthy foods and research findings suggest following this diet may help reduce some of the risk factors for heart disease.  According to the Oldways Preservation & Exchange Trust, the Mediterranean diet was introduced in 1993 by Oldways, Harvard School of Public Health and the World Health Organization.  The diet includes: Olives and olive oil Whole grains, mostly in bread and cereal rather than pasta Very little red meat Fish and seafood Some cheese, but less milk Lots of vegetables and fruit Plenty of legumes and nuts A little red wine The Mediterranean diet is high in fiber and antioxidants from vegetables, legumes and nuts, far greater than the typical Western diet, and low in saturated fat. Very little red meat is eaten in this region, and milk consumption is limited as well, exc...
Read more

Changing Your Life To Lose Weight

-
Image
I can let you in on the ultimate secret for successfully making a change in your life. A century’s worth of psychological research reveals an interesting paradox in who we are. On the one hand, once we reach adulthood our basic personalities remain unchanged for the rest of our lives. We keep doing the same things—and feeling the same ways—over and over. But, on the other hand, every day we change our behavior drastically in response to different environments. Most of us are one person at work, for example, and another person at home. It is easier to change our environment than to change ourselves. So, if you want to change yourself, change your environment. Said differently: Whenever possible, don’t try to fight temptations – avoid them! The easiest way to make a change in your life is to modify the world around you in ways that will naturally drive you toward making, and maintaining, the change you want. There are many ways to change your environment, but let’s focus...
Read more

Cancer and High Protein Diets

-
On the Fox TV Network the other night, one of the big stories was about high protein diets. A new study has shown a link between the over consumption of animal protein and how it can stimulate the growth of cancer cells. It seems we all have cancer cells but they don’t normally grow, unless we consume too much animal fat, dairy or fats from processed foods. Before I continue I want to explain about the link to cancer. After all, Man has been eating red meat for millions of years, right. That's true but todays red meat is not the same. Most red meat that we buy in the supermarket comes from Steers that have been raised in feed lots on a grain diet that is full of hormones and other chemicals that shorten the growing time and put more fat on the animal. These hormones and other chemicals stay in the meat and what you're buying will contain the chemicals that the animal ate. Normally a grass feed Steer that lives on the range in big herds will take 18 to 20 months to grow to ...
Read more