1 week Ago By [email protected] (Kieran Isgin)
While it's well-known that walking can be a simple way of boosting your physical health, many people may be going about it the wrong way. Many people may be used to using their phones and smartwatches to track how many steps a day they're doing. It's common for people to believe that an average person should be walking at least 10,000 steps a day as a minimum basis for a healthy lifestyle.
Despite this, NHS guidelines actually state that people should be focusing on a different aspect of their walking regime instead of the distance and amount of steps taken. Instead, focus should be taken on the effort put into the walk to increase physical wellbeing. It highlights that just a 10-minute 'brisk' walk can reap a range of health benefits and even counts towards the recommended 150 minutes of physical exercise a week for adults.
If you're not sure what the difference between a casual stroll and a brisk walk is, the NHS states that on a brisk walk you're able to speak words but would be unable to sing them. Previously speaking on this subject, Dr Zoe Williams, GP and RCGP Clinical Champion for Physical Activity and Lifestyle, said: "GPs want their patients to be healthy and enjoy life, and there are simple ways in which we can all improve our health. I often encourage my patients to take up more daily physical activity, which can start with just a 10 minute brisk walk – it would be great to see more people doing this across the country.
"Moving more is an important step forward to improving the health of the nation and looking after our NHS, which is often overburdened by lifestyle related illness." Walking regularly and with enough effort can help burn extra calories while maintaining muscle definition. As a result, this can help burn any excess fat on the body and keep your waistline nice and rim.
Walking regularly may help to prevent diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. One study noted that walking regularly each day of the week saw a 19% reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease. Walking can also reduce the risk of diabetes by aiding in managing blood sugar levels.
Furthermore, if you're already living with diabetes it can help ease the condition and prevent the risk of further complications due to this effect. Walking with a moderate amount of effort can help strengthen the muscles in the legs and core, helping to build more functional strength in the body. This extra strength-gain can be further incorporated to help with other exercises such as weightlifting.
Walking at a brisk pace can help improve blood flow and counts as a moderate cardio exercise. Doing this regularly will help 'train' your heart as it gets used to the increased activity, thus improving your overall cardio health which in turn can help reduce a range of health risks when you're older..
