Walking -
|
|
|
There’s really no better way to improve your health because it’s affordable too – all you actually need is a pair of comfortable shoes or boots and your normal clothes – no lycra required! And ditch your heels - choose shoes made for function, not fashion.
Another advantage is that it can include a social element - we can stroll out with friends. Or, if you prefer a more solitary exercise routine, get into your stride with some energetic music pumping into your ears.
This type of aerobic exercise can also introduce you to some stunning views, help you explore a trail or even window shop (don’t take your wallet!). Stop and smell the roses - visit a garden center, park or forest. Turn it into a whole day out and take a healthy picnic to the beach.
As well as benefiting from the physical exercise, you’ll de-stress yourself (which is very aging) and fill your lungs with some fresh air. Especially if you walk tall – chin up and shoulders back! This is because being outdoors in a natural environment helps to recharge the mind. Looking at a natural scene, such as the sea for instance, is fascinating for the brain and enables it to relax and recharge.
Picture reproduced by kind permission of © daemys and dreamstime.com
To those comfortable shoes, you might like to add a little gismo called a pedometer, which will measure how many steps you take.
How far do you need to go? How many steps?
The average person, with a sedentary lifestyle, takes between 2,000 and 5,000 steps each day. To turn this into an anti aging exercise we need to increase this number significantly.
Take up to 10,000 steps in a day and you will be considered somewhat active, while taking 12,000 steps would be an active day.
Set goals for yourself, using your pedometer. It makes using your legs that much more fun!
Step it up and get fit
Pick up your pace to a speed that qualifies as exercise – “power walking” as it’s now called. It will burn unwanted calories, improve your heart health and build stronger bones. All great for helping to turn the clock back!
This doesn’t mean you have to race along the street! A brisk pace, as if you are late for a meeting, is what you’re aiming for.
Another way to turn your moderately paced outdoor exercise into more of a work-out is to add short activity bursts. Turn up your speed to faster than brisk for just 30 seconds, several times during your walk.
There seems to be no downside to walking – so stride out there and make this easy lifestyle change to help slow down the aging process!.
