Why Walking Is Such A Good Way To Get In Shape

Walking is a great form of exercise which the large majority of people can do. It requires no special equipment or training, it's free and you can fit it into your day whenever it suits you best. The health benefits read like an advert for some new wonder drug or health supplement – and they can be obtained with no more than minor changes to your daily routine.

Most health professionals suggest that a target of 10,000 steps a day is desirable in order to obtain the numerous health benefits available. That equates to a distance of between four and a half and five miles for most of us. It sounds like a long way – but it's easier to achieve than you might think. Considering the potential health benefits, it's well worth making a little effort to increase the amount of walking that you do.

Of course, we live in a society which is increasingly sedentary – so it may very well be that you currently miss the recommended 10,000 daily steps (possibly by quite some way). If you're not sure how many steps you currently take then it might be a good idea to get hold of a pedometer in order to find out what your daily average is. You can pick these up pretty cheaply these days – but be certain to choose one which has a double axis sensor fitted as these tend to be more accurate.

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Once you've established exactly how many steps you average per day, you should look for ways to make up any difference between your daily average and the 10,000 step target. There are many different ways to do this – but be sensible and build up gradually – don't try to do everything all at once.

If you can manage to find a dedicated time in your day for a walk then that's fantastic. If that's not possible for you then don't despair – there are numerous different ways to get your step count up. Leave the car at home and walk to work, school or the shops. Take the lift instead of the stairs. GEt off the subway one or two stops early and walk the last leg of your journey.

Take advantage of modern technology and walk around whilst talking on your mobile phone. A fifteen minute telephone conversation can let you fit in an extra 1,000 or 1,500 steps. There are plenty of other opportunities to fit walking into your day – and it all adds up.

If you have any medical conditions, if you haven't taken regular exercise for a while, or if you're over forty years old then it would be a good idea to talk to your doctor prior to embarking on any new fitness program. However, walking is a low injury risk, low impact form of exercise which will, as long as you are sensible and build up slowly, provide you with many positive health benefits. You will be feeling better, enjoying increased energy levels and losing weight before you know it – and you won't need a pedometer or a set of scales to tell you how well you're doing. You will both feel the results and see them as well.

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