It’s officially Spring!
The days are growing longer and warmer, and body-baring beach weather is just around the corner; now is the perfect time to include walking in your physical activity routine.
Walking is often over-looked as exercise, but can be a great tool for improving cardiovascular fitness, reducing the risk of chronic illness, weight maintenance and weight loss.
A 70kg individual walking at a brisk pace for an hour, can burn up to 500 calories. To put that into weight loss perspective: If the individual completed 4 hour-long brisk walks each week (without increasing caloric intake), it would be possible to lose 1kg of body fat in about 3 1/2 weeks.
Walking can also be a great way to stay active while socialising with friends, or running day-to-day errands; It is much lower impact on the joints than running, doesn’t require any expensive equipment or gym memberships, and is a suitable form of exercise for most people. As walking is “weight bearing” exercise, it also helps to increase bone density and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
A pedometer can be an excellent way to monitor and record how many steps you’re taking, and allow you to set walking goals. Keep things interesting by trying different walking routes, including hills, using hand weights, and increasing the intensity to suit your improving fitness levels.
