A great way to improve or maintain your overall health is to walk for at least 30 minutes a day or more on most days of the week.
If you can’t manage 30 minutes a day, remember even short walks more frequently can be beneficial.
Walking with others can turn exercise into an enjoyable social occasion.
Before starting a higher intensity new exercise program, especially if you are older than 40 years, are overweight or have not exercised in a long time, see your doctor for a medical checkup.
- On this page
- About walking
- Health benefits of walking
- Walk for 30 minutes a day
- Build physical activity into your life
- Make walking part of your routine
- Wear a pedometer while walking
- A comfortable intensity for walking
- Warm up and cool down after walking
- Footwear for walking
- Make walking a pleasure
- Safety suggestions while walking
- On this page
About walking
- Walking is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health. Just 30 minutes a day can improve cardiovascular function, strengthen bones, reduce excess fat and increase muscle strength and endurance.
- It can also reduce your risk of diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers.
- Unlike other forms of exercise, walking is free and requires no special equipment or training. Physical activity does not need to be vigorous or long-lasting to improve health.
- Walking is low impact, requires little equipment, and can be done at any time and you can do it at your own pace.
- You can get out and walk without worrying about the risks associated with some more vigorous exercise.
- Walking is also great exercise for people who are overweight, elderly, or haven’t exercised in a while.
- Walking for fun and exercise is not just limited to local streets. There are various clubs, places and strategies to make walking an enjoyable and social part of your lifestyle.
Health benefits of walking
- When you walk, your body weight is carried by yourself. It’s known as a loadbearing exercise. There are some advantages to be had:
- Increase in cardiovascular and pulmonary fitness Heart and lung fitness
- Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Improved management of diseases such as hypertension, high blood pressure, cholesterol, joint and muscle pain or stiffness, and diabetes.
- Stronger bones and endurance of the muscles reduced body fat.
Walk for 30 minutes a day
- Try to walk briskly for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week to get the health benefits. ‘Brisk’ means you can still talk, but you can’t sing.
- Moderate exercise, such as walking, does not pose a health risk, but if you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise program.
Build physical activity into your life
- If you can’t walk for 30 minutes at a time, do regular small exercises of 10 minutes, 3 times a day and gradually build up to longer sessions. You will need to engage in physical activity for more than 30 minutes a day if you want to lose weight. To do this, you start by doing small bursts throughout the day and gradually increase them as your fitness gets better.
- One of the most effective ways to help you lose weight and keep it off when you lose weight is to exercise regularly in a daily lifestyle plan.
- To make walking into your daily routine, there are some suggestions:
- Instead of the elevator, take the stairs for at least a portion of the way.
- Get off public transport one stop earlier and walk to work or home.
- Walk (don’t drive) to the local shops.
Make walking part of your routine
- Make a habit of walking, for example, every day at the same time.
- Remember, whatever time of day you’re walking, you’re using the same amount of energy, so do what’s most convenient for you.
- You may find that asking someone to walk with you will help make it a regular activity.
- It’s also easier for some people to keep an activity log or a diary.
Wear a pedometer while walking
- The number of steps you’ve taken is measured by a pedometer (Use your smartphone or Fitness tracker watch).
- You can measure your movements over the whole day, comparing them with other days or values that you are advised to take.
- You can be motivated to move more by this.
- To achieve health benefits, the recommended number of steps per day is 10,000 steps or more.
A comfortable intensity for walking
- The amount of energy used to walk a kilometre or run a kilometre is not much different for most people, but it is only that walking takes longer.
- Plan to cover a set distance each day and monitor how long it takes you to walk this distance.
- You’ll be able to walk longer distances and use more energy as your physical condition improves.
- Walking fast burns more kilojoules per hour than walking slowly, but this doesn’t mean you have to push yourself until you’re breathless.
- It’s better if you pace yourself so that you can speak at all.
- This simple rule of thumb is that you’re walking safely at your target heart rate, which leads to health gains.
- It’s natural for our bodies to get used to physical activity, so keep increasing your intensity as you improve your level of fitness.
- You’ll be able to increase the intensity of your walks:
- Walking up hills
- Walking with hand weights
- Increasing your walking speed gradually by including some quick walking
- Increasing the distance you walk quickly before returning to a moderate walking pace
- Walking for longer.
Warm up and cool down after walking
- It’s recommended to walk gently to get warmed up. To allow your muscles to warm up, begin each walk slowly and gradually increase your speed.
- After that, give your leg muscles, especially your calves and front and back thighs, a little stretch. Holding a stretch for 20 seconds or more is recommended.
- Reduce the intensity of the stretch if it hurts. Avoid bouncing or jolting as this can create microscopic rips and overstretching of the muscular tissue, resulting in stiffness and soreness.
- Wearing light clothing is ideal when engaging in physical exercise. Wearing too many layers can make you sweat more and raise your body temperature, which can irritate your skin or make walks uncomfortable.
- Additionally, a slow cool-down will help avoid injury and muscular stiffness.
Footwear for walking
- One of the most affordable and efficient forms of exercise is walking. But wearing the wrong shoes or walking position can lead to blisters, soft tissue injuries, and pain in the shins or feet.
- Make sure the arch and heel supports on your shoes are suitable and comfy. Make sure your heel lands before your toes when you take slow, gentle steps.
- For better impact absorption, try to walk on grass whenever you can instead of concrete.
Make walking a pleasure
- Here are some ideas to help turn regular walking into an enjoyable kind of exercise:
- Change up your walking routes
- Go on walks with friends
- Join a walking group.
- Make walking engaging, Among the strategies to make your everyday stroll engaging are:
- Choose varied routes if you want to stay close to home and restrict your walking to the streets in your neighbourhood so you won’t grow bored with the same views.
- Choose to walk with one or more friends or family members if you feel uncomfortable going it alone.
- Take walks during the day. There will always be different sights to see in the morning than there will be in the afternoon or early evening.
- Go to more reserves, park, and walk around to take in the scenery.
Walk with others
- Walking with other people can turn a bout of exercise into an enjoyable social occasion. Suggestions include:
- Schedule a regular family walk – this is a great way to pass on healthy habits to your children or grandchildren, and to spend time together, while getting fit at the same time.
- If you are walking with children, ensure the route and length of time spent walking are appropriate for make sure the route and length of time spent walking are appropriate to their age.
- Babies and toddlers enjoy long walks in the pram. Take the opportunity to point out highlight items of interest to young ones, such as vehicles, flowers and other pedestrians.
- Look for the self-guided nature walks that have been set up in many parks. Younger children enjoy looking for the next numbered post; older ones can learn about the plants and animals of the park.
Safety suggestions while walking
- In general, walking is a safe form of exercise, but be aware of unforeseen risks. Among the recommendations are:
- Before beginning a new fitness programme, get a medical examination from your doctor, especially if you are over 40, overweight, or haven’t worked out in a while.
- Make sure you go through the self-screening tool before exercising.
- Pick walks based on your age and degree of fitness. To ease into and out of your workout, take an easy walk for your warm-up and cool-down.
- To prevent blisters and shin splints, wear loose, comfortable clothing and the right shoes.
- To prevent sunburn, put on a hat, long sleeves, sunscreen, and sunglasses.
- Wear waterproof clothing to avoid getting wet if it rains.
- Before hiking, check the weather forecast and take appropriate safety measures (eg pack the right clothes).
- Look for hazards in mountains or coastal areas, such as cliff edges or large waves. .
- Drink plenty of fluids before and after your walk. If you’re going for a long walk, take water with you.