Having a healthy lifestyle could be a big challenge in this busy world. Few people have too much time in their hands which makes it difficult for them to manage the time between working and being physically active.
If you want to think deeply about it, time is not the excuse that prevents you from being healthy its all about priorities. If healthy lifestyle is on the top of your priorities then you can do it!
What could be more important than achieving a healthy lifestyle and living longer with less diseases? You
can't live without eating, sleeping, praying, or working then why you don't add walking to the list? I personally met some people who can't live a single day without walking. Once you started it will be second nature you just need some determination to continue doing it.
The benefits of walking are endless! it has an effect on every system in our bodies.
Some of these benefits are:
1-Lowers the risks of diseases:
It reduces the chances of having Diabetes type 2, heart diseases, cancers specially colon and breast cancers..e.t.c
A study in the British Medical Journal showed taking more steps every day can help ward off diabetes
2-Prevents Osteoporosis ( a condition where your bone density is low due to lack of Vitamin D and exercises):
It's one of the commonest diseases among the women in Gulf area as they don't exercises a lot and no exposure to sun. Walking which is considered a weight bearing activity will work on increasing the bone density and reduces the risk of falls and fractures in elderly. Also it prevents joint diseases such as arthritis.
3-Enhances the brain function:
Walking increases the % of oxygen in our bodies and helps in improving the blood circulation. If these two factors are there, the person will have less chance to loss brain cells or have a brain shrinkage which results in memory less also known as "Dementia".
4-More Adrenaline
Walking makes you happy by increasing the levels of feel-good endorphines (adrenaline) into your blood stream.
Studies have shown regular, moderate-intensity exercise (such as brisk walking) to be as effective as antidepressants in cases of mild to moderate depression.
A survey by the charity Mind found 83 per cent of people with mental health issues look to exercise to help lift their mood.
Tips Before walking:
1-Don't eat heavy meals before two hours of walking
2-Drink water
3-Eat small pieces of Dates, banana, an apple or anything that's easily digested and will give you energy.
4-Warm up: do some stretches that will prevent muscles soreness after walking
Here's a file for general stretches for all the body with their description.
Download file
5-Take a bottle of water with you
Tips during walking:
If you're planning to start walking or you're already walking, you should know the proper technique to maximize the positive value from walking and reduce the risk of injury.
1-Your arms should be bent for 90 degrees only and as you walk they should "pump" backwards and forward and not criss cross across your mid section.
2- Look forward and don't look downward.
3-Suck your stomach in to engage the stomach muscles and strengthen them.
4-Walk erect, don't bend your spine.
5-Your shoulders shouldn't be leaned forward, swing them in circles if you feel that they are tight and try to keep them loose and relaxed during walking.
6-Pull your chin in to keep the neck and head in erect position.
7-Don't take very wider nor narrow steps, be moderate.
8-Breathing pattern is one of the most important things to be aware of while walking. Good breathing technique increases the effectiveness of walking and make you walk longer while if you have a shallow breath for example, you will end up feeling so tired at the beginning of the walk.
One technique is to take four breaths in from your nose and exhale four breaths from your mouth.
Breathing pattern
9-Drink water if needed.
10-Listen to some sort of music that will motivate you to walk.
11-If you're a beginner, don't start with a high speed. Your speed will increase by time.
What's the best shoes to wear?
There are specific criteria for the proper walking shoes:
1-Light weight
2-The American Podiatric Medical Association recommends “motion control” sneakers that prevent collapsing and inward rolling arches for those with low arches. If you have high arches, shoes with built in “cushioning” or adding a custom insert will prevent outward rolling while building up inward arch strength.
3-Good heel support: your sneakers should have a very well supported heels to avoid any heel pain in future like "plantar fasciitis".
If you want to think deeply about it, time is not the excuse that prevents you from being healthy its all about priorities. If healthy lifestyle is on the top of your priorities then you can do it!
What could be more important than achieving a healthy lifestyle and living longer with less diseases? You
can't live without eating, sleeping, praying, or working then why you don't add walking to the list? I personally met some people who can't live a single day without walking. Once you started it will be second nature you just need some determination to continue doing it.
The benefits of walking are endless! it has an effect on every system in our bodies.
Some of these benefits are:
1-Lowers the risks of diseases:
It reduces the chances of having Diabetes type 2, heart diseases, cancers specially colon and breast cancers..e.t.c
A study in the British Medical Journal showed taking more steps every day can help ward off diabetes
2-Prevents Osteoporosis ( a condition where your bone density is low due to lack of Vitamin D and exercises):
It's one of the commonest diseases among the women in Gulf area as they don't exercises a lot and no exposure to sun. Walking which is considered a weight bearing activity will work on increasing the bone density and reduces the risk of falls and fractures in elderly. Also it prevents joint diseases such as arthritis.
3-Enhances the brain function:
Walking increases the % of oxygen in our bodies and helps in improving the blood circulation. If these two factors are there, the person will have less chance to loss brain cells or have a brain shrinkage which results in memory less also known as "Dementia".
4-More Adrenaline
Walking makes you happy by increasing the levels of feel-good endorphines (adrenaline) into your blood stream.
Studies have shown regular, moderate-intensity exercise (such as brisk walking) to be as effective as antidepressants in cases of mild to moderate depression.
A survey by the charity Mind found 83 per cent of people with mental health issues look to exercise to help lift their mood.
Tips Before walking:
1-Don't eat heavy meals before two hours of walking
2-Drink water
3-Eat small pieces of Dates, banana, an apple or anything that's easily digested and will give you energy.
4-Warm up: do some stretches that will prevent muscles soreness after walking
Here's a file for general stretches for all the body with their description.
Download file
5-Take a bottle of water with you
Tips during walking:
If you're planning to start walking or you're already walking, you should know the proper technique to maximize the positive value from walking and reduce the risk of injury.
1-Your arms should be bent for 90 degrees only and as you walk they should "pump" backwards and forward and not criss cross across your mid section.
2- Look forward and don't look downward.
3-Suck your stomach in to engage the stomach muscles and strengthen them.
4-Walk erect, don't bend your spine.
5-Your shoulders shouldn't be leaned forward, swing them in circles if you feel that they are tight and try to keep them loose and relaxed during walking.
6-Pull your chin in to keep the neck and head in erect position.
7-Don't take very wider nor narrow steps, be moderate.
8-Breathing pattern is one of the most important things to be aware of while walking. Good breathing technique increases the effectiveness of walking and make you walk longer while if you have a shallow breath for example, you will end up feeling so tired at the beginning of the walk.
One technique is to take four breaths in from your nose and exhale four breaths from your mouth.
Breathing pattern
9-Drink water if needed.
10-Listen to some sort of music that will motivate you to walk.
11-If you're a beginner, don't start with a high speed. Your speed will increase by time.
What's the best shoes to wear?
There are specific criteria for the proper walking shoes:
1-Light weight
2-The American Podiatric Medical Association recommends “motion control” sneakers that prevent collapsing and inward rolling arches for those with low arches. If you have high arches, shoes with built in “cushioning” or adding a custom insert will prevent outward rolling while building up inward arch strength.
3-Good heel support: your sneakers should have a very well supported heels to avoid any heel pain in future like "plantar fasciitis".
4-Good cushioning
Midsole cushioning is shown to reduce heel, ankle, and toe stress, and prevent a future knee, back, or hip injury, according to research from the American College of Sports Medicine.
Cool Down activity:
Do some stretches after you finish your long walk
How many minutes should I walk per day?
There is no standard time frame for walking, each person can set the duration depending on his schedule but I can give you some tips that will guide you:
1-Walk for three times/week at least in order to obtain a result.
2-Your body will start burning calories after 30 minutes of walking and sweating is a good sign of burning calories.
3-To lose weight your walking workout should be from 30-60 minutes for 50-70% of your maximum heart rate.
To calculate your target heart rate Click here
By now you have a good background about walking, finding a walking buddy is your next step!
Start today before it's too late..
And Remember!
References:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/weight-loss/expert-blog/healthy-lifestyle-tips/bgp-20056450
http://www.walkingequipment.net/walking-benefits/essential-equipment-proper-walking-technique
