Health benefits of a 30 minute brisk walk
Everyone has to start somewhere on the road to fitness and one of the best ways to start is by walking.
Walking for health
Walking is simple, easy and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier.
You don’t have to walk for hours, just a steady speedy 10 minute daily walk has many health benefits that count towards your 150 minutes weekly exercise.
You don’t have to wear specific walking shoes, any shoes or trainers that are comfortable will do as long as they don’t cause blisters and have enough support.
Why not start by walking to work, you can always wear your work clothes and walking shoes and then change your shoes once at work.
If you are going on a long walk you may want to consider taking a bottle of water and a healthy snack, and depending on the weather forecast, a foldaway waterproof jacket could be handy.
A brisk paced walk is generally about 3 mph, which is slightly faster than a stroll. A good way to tell if you’re walking too fast is that you are able to speak but not sing the words to a song.
If you’re not generally an active person build up to longer distances gradually. If you are inactive due to medical reasons seek advice from your doctor first.
The simplest way to walk more is to make it a habit.
A few ways to walk more is try;
- walking part of your journey to work
- walking to the shops
- using the stairs instead of the lift
- leaving the car behind for short journeys
- walking the kids to school
- doing a regular walk with a friend
- going for a stroll with family or friends after dinner
If you find going for a walk alone mundane why not try listening to some music or a podcast, this will help take your mind off the effort, it can also get you into a rhythm, which in turn makes you walk faster, burns more calories and you’ll get to your destination quicker!
Starting to enjoy walking? Why not join a walking group, you’ll make new friends and also stay motivated, after all motivation is key!
