116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Build a Better You: Get walking!
Walking is free, easy and comes with loads of health benefits
Walking has numerous amounts of health benefits. Walking is free and is easy to add into your daily routine. Walking can fulfill the daily need of recommended exercises for all ages and fitness levels. All you’ll need is a pair of gym shoes and a bottle of water. Let’s get into the benefits of walking.
Burns calories
The calories burned while walking depend on a few factors:
- Walking speed
- Distance covers
- The terrain- you will burn more calories walking uphill than on a flat surface.
Strengthens your heart
Walking is good for your heart. It is shown that walking 30 minutes a day can reduce your risk for coronary heart disease.
Eases joint pain
Walking can help protect the joints, this includes your knees and hips. That’s because it helps lubricate and strengthen the muscles that support the joints.
Walking could possibly provide benefits for people living with arthritis, such as reducing pain.
Boosts energy
Walking increases the oxygen flow through your body. It also can increase levels of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Those are hormones that help elevate energy levels. Going for a walk when you’re tired could be a more effective energy boost than grabbing a cup of coffee or drinking an energy drink.
Improves your mood
Walking can help your mental health. Walking can help reduce anxiety, depression and a negative mood. It is also known to boost self-esteem and reduce symptoms of social withdrawal. To feel these benefits, you need to aim for 30 minutes of brisk walking or other moderate intensity exercise three days a week.
Toning your legs
Walking will strengthen the muscles in your legs. To build up more strength, walk somewhere with hills or on a treadmill with an incline. You also could find routes that have stairs. Try to switch walking to other cross-training activities such as cycling or jogging. You also can perform other exercises like squats, lunges, and leg curls to further tone and strengthen the muscles in your legs.
Promotes creative thinking
Walking may be able to help clear your head and make you think creatively.
People trying to think of new ideas do better while they are walking. Walking opens a free flow of ideas and is a simple way to increase creativity and get physical activity at the same time. Music or a podcast are usually a go-to when exercising, try to leave the headphones behind next time you go for a walk and see what ideas you think of.
To ensure safety while walking, here are a few tips:
- Walk in areas designated for pedestrians.
- Look for well-lit areas if possible.
- If you walk in the evening or early morning hours, wear a reflective vest or light so cars can see you.
- Wear sturdy shoes with good support.
- Wear loose, brightly colored, comfortable clothing.
- Drink plenty of water before and after your walk to stay hydrated.
- Wear sunscreen to prevent sunburn, even on cloudy days.
Isabela Joyce is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist at The M.A.C. She can be reached at IJoyce@the-mac.net.
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