You don’t need to go to the gym to exercise.
There is a problem of obesity in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 41.9% of Americans were obese in 2020. The problem is not just that being overweight makes life less enjoyable. It also increases the likelihood of serious health problems. Heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, and many other major causes of death are closely associated with obesity, and the CDC estimates that Americans will cost $ 173 billion annually.
The great news is that there are ways to improve your fitness without going through complicated steps. If you’re worried about going to the gym, or if you can’t afford to have your personal trainer tell you what to do, you’re not alone. But you already have everything you need to dramatically improve your health. The answer is to start walking.
Walking is a healthy activity that almost everyone can do.
Benefits of walking
Just taking a walk in the neighborhood has great health benefits. The risk of all obesity-related illnesses is dramatically reduced for those who walk regularly and anyone can do it. Many exercises put a lot of stress on your body. Running with heavy weights can cause serious joint and muscle problems if you are ill. Walking causes little stress on the body. This means that you can do this regardless of your health, except in rare situations.
One of the biggest benefits is that walking improves your heart health. Heart rate is measured by the activity zone. The resting heart rate range is Zone 1 (50-60% of maximum heart rate). High-intensity aerobic exercise causes the heart to beat quickly in zones 4-5 (85-100% of maximum heart rate). Walking usually leads to Zone 2, where your heart rate rises, but it’s not unpleasant. As a rule of thumb, you should be able to continue the conversation without being out of breath. If your heart rate is in Zone 2 for only 15 minutes, you will start to burn significantly more calories than usual.
Most of it is how walking is involved in the whole body. Your heart is beating. Your feet are pumping. Your arm is shaking. Your core is bent. This whole body exercise brings such a wide range of benefits to walking. Exercises in the gym often focus on training certain muscle groups at higher levels of intensity to increase strength. This type of training has many benefits, but you don’t have to commit to it to dramatically improve your health.
Besides physical benefits, walking consistently improves mental and emotional well-being. Regular exercise is a great way to reduce and manage stress. The chemicals released by the body during exercise are called endorphins and have been shown to help lift the mood and remove stress-causing chemicals such as the hormone cortisol.
The list will continue to grow. Your immune system gets stronger with regular exercise. Memory results improve with a decrease in “mental fog” and an increase in cognition. Increases overall energy level. Your endurance will improve on both physical and mental challenges, and your balance will be better. Even your bones get stronger!
Tips for walking
The Ministry of Health recommends moderate exercise for 150 minutes a week. Divide it by 7 and you only have to walk 20-30 minutes a day. The best thing is to walk around. In this way, you can plan different routes to keep your interests. In addition, being outside generally improves mental health.
It helps to push yourself, if possible, by increasing the pace of your walk or changing the landscape. Walk, incline, and descend on a flat surface to pull in more muscle. If you really want to sweat, pump your arms and keep your head up while you’re moving.
But the most important thing is to start somewhere and continue. If you’re just walking from the couch to the fridge right now, walking around the couch is a good first step. Don’t worry about being in the best shape of your life. Think of you as being better than you are now. Ultimately, it’s best to walk consistently at least five days a week. If you move every day, your body will be healthy.
Improving your health is important, and walking is an easy way to get started. You may want to do more when you see how much you can benefit from walking for just 30 minutes each day. That is wonderful! But the truth is that your health, weight, and life can be much better by doing simple things well.
