Facts & Tips About Walking
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Top 8 reasons to walk:
- Walking prevents type 2 diabetes
- Walking strengthens your heart
- Walking is good for your brain
- Walking is good for your bones
- Walking helps alleviate symptoms of depression
- Walking reduces the risk of breast and colon cancer
- Walking improves fitness
- Walking improves physical function
Tips for Walking:
- Walk with a partner or a group of people, or alternatively listen to music, or audio books while walking.
- Learn how to race walk. It burns more calories, works more muscles and has better cardiovascular benefits.
- Many people recognize the local mall as an excellent place to walk for exercise; safe, fun and climate-controlled.
- Swing your arms as you walk.
- When you are able to get, and stay, on your target heart rate, you will want to cool down a bit at the end of your walk. If you have been able to stay in the target rate for 20 minutes or so, spend about 5 minutes at the end of the walk trying to bring your heart rate back to where it was pre-walk. Slowing your pace down and doing some light stretching can accomplish this. Do not stop walking to slow your heart rate in a cool down. It defeats the purpose of a cool down.
- Walking may cause cramps, if a cramp occurs, place your hands on your head and begin breathing your nose and out your mouth at a slow steady rate. It is crucial to stay hydrated, so be sure to bring a water bottle with you.
- In the beginning it is not necessary to warm up, however once you really start to put stress on your legs, it is recommended that you start some light stretching.
Sources:
Walking: Trim Your Waistline, Improve Your Health
Category: Exercise, Research and Statistics