For good health, we recommend at least one regular physical activity. The choice is yours. Depending on your morphology, your schedule and your preferences, you can opt for gymnastics, yoga, swimming, walking and many others. Today, we’re focusing on walking, a sport that’s easy to practice on a daily basis, with numerous benefits for the body. If you’re not convinced, here are ten good reasons to adopt daily walking as your sport.
1. Walking for a slimmer figure
Daily walking is one of the few physical activities that allows you to work the whole body. It’s not without reason that exercise specialists call it “man’s best medicine”. As you walk, you work your arms, shoulders, abs, thighs, buttocks and the rest of your body. You’ll be more toned and slimmer at the same time. But like any sport, you need to be consistent in your efforts to see the benefits. If you get a great figure by walking every day, it’s mainly because you burn calories.
2. Daily walking helps burn calories
Numerous studies have shown that slimming diets that include regular physical activity are always more effective than slimming diets that do not. Also, if you want to lose weight easily, walking is an excellent sport to combine with your diet. Inactivity is a common cause of obesity today. So take the time to walk regularly to avoid accumulating fat that could be harmful to your cardiovascular system.
3. Walking promotes healthy cardiovascular function
daily walking promotes good blood circulation. It also enables the body to convert fats into proteins. So by making walking your daily sport, you’re protecting yourself from the risk of cardiovascular accidents. It’s also an excellent way to regulate blood pressure.
4. Daily walking helps regulate blood pressure
In the throes of various emotions throughout the day, blood pressure varies greatly. But when it remains permanently high, we speak of arterial hypertension. This disease can be caused by many factors, including lack of exercise. Daily walking helps oxygenate the blood and regulate blood pressure, thus effectively preventing hypertension. If you’re constantly under pressure, there’s no better way to de-stress.
5. Walking is a great way to de-stress
Sometimes you’re under pressure at work, at home and for various other reasons. The tension and anxiety you build up in this way can be easily released by walking practically every day. As you walk, you breathe deeply, you sweat and you have time to forget your daily problems – all things that are excellent for mental health and sleep.
6Walking is a natural remedy for sleep disorders
The causes of sleep disorders are many and varied. However, before opting for sleeping pills, consider trying walking. If you suffer from sleep disorders, we recommend walking, especially in the evening. After dinner, instead of slouching in front of the TV, enjoy a 20-30 minute walk. The relaxation and well-being it provides should help you sleep comfortably.
7. Daily walking helps intestinal transit
If you suffer from chronic constipation, walking is the ideal remedy. In addition to its beneficial effect on muscles, walking promotes the secretion of digestive enzymes. As a result, the digestive system works more smoothly and you’re less prone to gastric problems.
8. Walking relieves joint pain
Daily sitting at the office, in the car or simply in front of the TV at home can lead to back and joint pain, especially if you adopt poor posture. Walking is the best way to overcome this. On a daily basis, it improves posture, strengthens bones and makes limbs more flexible.
9.walking is effective in preventing osteoporosis
Daily walking increases muscle flexibility and bone density. As a result, it helps prevent osteoporosis and bone fractures. Particularly for those predisposed to or suffering from osteoarthritis, walking is highly recommended, as it helps to alleviate the consequences. It’s also an excellent way of getting back into shape after a particularly physically demanding illness.
10Daily walking is recommended to help convalescents get back into shape.
It’s hard to recover from an illness, especially one that has kept you immobile for a long time. Daily walking will help you get back into shape gradually. Since it’s a medium-endurance sport, your body readjusts without excessive effort on your part. If you’re beginning a healing process, slow walking is recommended over short distances, which you can lengthen as your health improves.
How to proceed?
To achieve consistent results, it’s essential to take several key parameters into account, including posture, walking pace and frequency.
Posture
As we said earlier, walking helps to improve your figure. But you need to adopt the right posture to feel the benefits. Please keep your head and spine straight while walking. Your arms should swing naturally and your whole body completely relaxed. Choose comfortable clothes and shoes. Have fun doing it. No doubt you’ll adopt the right posture.
The rhythm
There’s really no predefined walking speed. Everyone goes at their own pace, depending on their motivation and physical condition. However, it is recommended to walk at a minimum speed of 5 km per hour (about 100 steps per minute). Hardy riders will still be able to go up to 7 km per hour. This is called brisk walking. Avoid sudden stops. Start gently and gradually slow down at the end. If you find it hard to breathe while walking, stop and catch your breath. The calorie-burning effect only really kicks in after 30 minutes of walking, so get into the habit of taking a minimum of 6,000 steps every time you walk.
Frequency
Consistency is the key. We therefore recommend walking every day. However, if you’re just starting out, you can do this three or five times a week. Don’t hesitate to consult an exercise specialist who can advise you on the ideal pace to adopt, depending on your physical condition and medical history.
Walking is the cheapest sport there is, but its physical and mental health benefits are priceless. Looking for a firmer, more harmonious figure? Need to lose a little weight? Adopt walking as your daily physical activity.