Walk To Health

Put one foot in front of the other. Repeat. If you can do it 10,000 times a day, you can reduce body fat, boost your mood and cut the risk of heart disease.

How does walking get you fit?

Walking is good for your heart and lungs, and improves cardiovascular fitness. Most of the work is done by the muscles of the lower body, and it’s a weight-bearing activity, so can help improve bone density. At the same time it’s low impact, so it won’t strain your joints.
It’s also free, saves on petrol or bus fares and is better for the planet. Half of all journeys in the UK are shorter than two miles. Most people can easily walk that!

Do I have to walk really fast for it to work?

No. It's the distance covered that matters, not the time. Your size, stride and speed will affect how many calories your burn in 10,000 steps. For a 70kg (11 stone) woman walking at a fairly brisk pace of 3.5 miles an hour, it would take around 90 minutes and burn over 400 calories.

Walking will:
Increase your muscle tone.
Boost metabolism.
Ease stress.
Raise energy levels.
Improve sleep.

Isn’t walking too easy if I want to get fit?

If you want to get fit for sport then yes, you do need to work hard. And sport or working out in the gym are popular ways of getting and keeping fit. But you can get major health benefits from relatively mild exercise, as long as you do enough and do it regularly.

Of course, you have to watch your diet too: a good walk isn’t an excuse to eat that extra jam doughnut.

Does walking have any other health benefits?

Regular walking can reduce the risk of:

• Coronary heart disease.


• Diabetes.


• Stroke.


• High blood pressure.


• Cancer.


• Osteoporosis.


• Arthritis.

It can also help you to deal with anxiety and stress, and may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

How can I fit all this walking into my day?

Walking doesn’t need to feel like exercise. It can just be part of your daily routine. You could stop driving to the local shop and walk there instead. If you use the bus or tube, get off one stop early and walk.
Or take a walk in your lunch hour: half an hour’s walk after a meal cuts the amount of fat your body stores by using it to fuel your exercise.

How can I make sure I'm doing enough?

A pedometer is a great way to measure your walking steps. They’re the size of a pager, cost around £10 from large pharmacies and clip easily to your waistband

Special credit : http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/women1839/Pages/Walktohealth.aspx