I was born and raised in Ukraine where people walk a lot. Till today my 75 years old mother walks every day whether it’s just a brisk walk or grocery shopping trip.
As you might know many countries in Europe has its cultural history of people being more active due to every day walking habits.
Here is why.
Walking Protects your heart.
Just like the rest of the muscles in our bodies, our heart needs to be strengthened through regular activity to remain healthy and strong. Thankfully, the simplest of physical activities — walking — can make a big difference.
Some may believe that you have to get on the treadmill or hit the pavement for at least an hour to make it worthwhile. However, this might seem out of reach if you have a busy schedule or are not in the routine of regularly exercising. The good news is you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete or marathon runner to experience the heart-protecting benefits of exercise. Two long-term Harvard studies found that simply walking 20 minutes a day may reduce your risk of heart disease by up to 30 percent.
Walking Slims you down.
Regular brisk walking, when combined with healthy eating, is hugely effective for weight loss, helping you burn off extra calories. Walking also helps to reduce visceral fat, also known as belly or abdominal fat which is especially dangerous to our health.
If you don’t have time to get out for a walk, you can simply add in extra steps to your daily routine. Wearing an activity tracker is an excellent way to track progress and help keep you motivated. To start, go about your daily routine as normal for the first couple days to establish a baseline. From there, you can set small goals to increase your daily steps. You may surprise yourself with how quickly these small changes can add up.
Walking Improves your mood.
Exercise helps release endorphins that instantly improve your mood and trigger a positive feeling in the body. When performed regularly, exercise helps ease stress, anxiety and has even been shown to be as effective as psychotherapy at relieving moderate depression.
Set a goal to walk 20 minutes at least five times a week and experience all the health benefits that a brisk walk can bring you.
I hope you can put your walking into your regular routine and it can become your new habit. If you need help with regular exercise please reach out to us. We have excellent team of trainers who come to our clients homes.
Nadia Popova
