 |
 | health information | health living | lifestyle | exercise
Stride with pride: the virtues of walking
Walking is a fantastic way to stay active - here's why.
A great means of transport
Walking is:
- convenient - it's handy for getting you from one place to another
- free - walk to work and you can stop worrying about the price of petrol and escalating bus fares
- predictable - you know how fast you walk, so you'll always know when you're going to arrive. And your legs won't break down: you're in control
- stress-free - if you can walk all or part of the way to work, you can forget about leaves on the line or late buses
- good for the environment - getting out of your car and onto your feet will reduce pollution and road congestion
- sociable - it provides an opportunity to stop and chat to your friends and neighbours, which is impossible when cocooned in your car
- safe - of course, you should avoid walking alone at night and take care crossing roads, but generally walking is safe. Walking accidents can happen - but even if you do bump into a lamp post you'll probably do less damage than if you were in car
A great form of exercise
As well as being a practical and cost-effective means of transport, walking is a fantastic form of exercise. Get the walking habit and you'll reap health rewards now and in the future.
Feel better now
- Get in shape - people who need to lose weight need to burn more calories than they eat. Walking will help burn up those calories. A 60kg (about nine and a half stone) person walking at 3mph burns about 99 calories per half hour. Brisk walking at 4mph burns about 150 calories in the same time. Heavier people will burn more calories.
- Feel happier - getting enough exercise reduces depression and anxiety, promotes psychological well-being and reduces stress. So walk to work and you should sail through the day calm and happy.
- Feel full of energy - you might worry that walking to work will leave you exhausted for the rest of the day. But, although you may feel a bit more tired in the first week or two, people who exercise regularly generally have more get-up-and-go than sedentary people.
- Sleep like a baby - physical activity each day should help you to sleep well. An after-dinner stroll will help you relax - but you should avoid strenuous exercise within two hours of going to bed if you suffer from insomnia, because this will actually make you more alert.
- Back health - walking helps recovery from back pain.
- Reduce joint pain - moderate exercise can improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
- Relieve period pains - women who suffer each month should find that period pains are eased and pre-menstrual symptoms reduced.
- Keep your bowels healthy - regular exercise will help relieve and prevent constipation.
Health in the future
As well as keeping you in tip top form now, staying active will help prevent a whole range of health problems in the future, some of which are serious or life-threatening. Lack of exercise is just as bad for your health as smoking. Meeting recommended physical activity targets by walking will reduce the risk of:
- high blood pressure
- coronary heart disease, which can lead to angina or heart attacks
- stroke
- peripheral vascular disease (when arteries that supply blood to the legs become narrowed, resulting in leg pain on activity)
- type 2 diabetes
- certain types of cancer, especially colon, breast and lung cancer
- osteoporosis - weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, strengthens bones
References
- Chief Medical Officer report. 29 April 2004 "At least five a week: Evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health"
http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4080994&chk=1Ft1Of
Further sources of information
- Walk for Health Initiative
Tel: 01242 533 258
www.whi.org.uk
- British Heart Foundation
Tel: 08450 70 80 70
www.bhf.org.uk
- Chief Medical Officer report
April 2004 "At least five a week: Evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health"
www.dh.gov.uk
Other useful articles
Read these factsheets and articles from BUPA for more information about exercise and physical activity:
|
|
|
