Walking for Fitness

Ask yourself this question, ‘Why do you want to get fit?’ There are so many advantages to improving your overall fitness it’s hard to think why anyone would not want to do it. When we refer to ‘fitness’ in general everyday terms we are normally talking about aerobic fitness, the fitness of our heart and lungs. Our heart is a muscle and like any other muscle it will get stronger the more we exercise it. Our lungs will become more efficient by increasing the functional capacity.

If you are looking to start fitness then walking is a great way to get started.
Lets look at some facts & health benefits of walking for fitness.

· Walking at a brisk pace of 2 to 4 mph can burn between on average 200 to 400 calories per hour
· Walking is aerobic so it will exercise your heart
· Walking can be done almost anywhere and requires no specialist equipment in most circumstances
· Reduces the risk of serious diseases such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, depression and high cholesterol
· Reduction in body fat due to an increase in metabolic rate
· Enhanced sense of well-being
· Helps improve balance and co-ordination
· Helps to strengthen leg muscles and core abdominals for better posture

One of the best things about walking is that it is easy to fit around your current lifestyle without making any drastic changes. If you just allow yourself at little bit extra time each day you will be able to fit your walk in to your daily routine.

· Go for a 30 minute walk in your lunch break
· Park the car or get off the bus at 20 to 30 minute walking distance from your place of work
· Walk to the shops instead of driving
· Go out for walks at the weekend to local beauty spots and enjoy the fresh air

If you are going to start walking to improve your fitness, then it’s important to do it at an intensity that will benefit you. You need to walk at brisk pace so that increases your heart rate and breathing rate sufficiently for them to be getting exercise. If you are breathing harder than normal, you are getting slightly hot and sweaty, but you can hold a normal conversation in reasonable comfort then you are walking at the right intensity. This should be around 60% of your maximum heart rate, otherwise known as the ‘fat burning zone.’
To be getting any real fitness benefits from your walking then you should be walking at least once a day for ideally 30 to 45 minutes. To progress your fitness, try walking at different speeds. Increase the time and or the distance that you walk. Also, try walking on different terrains, such as hills and surfaces like the beach for example. You could also try interval training, by increasing and decreasing your pace throughout your walk. This will vary your heart and breathing rates adding an extra variable to your training. This also helps to reduce boredom. Adding these variables will help to increase your overall fitness by preventing your body adapting to the same routine. This keeps your body guessing and that’s the key to increasing fitness.
As with any physical activity, it’s highly important that you prepare correctly. Always warm up before you significantly increase the pace. You can warm up by walking at a gentle pace for the first 5 minutes and then perform some light stretching. The stretching might not be convenient on your walk to and from work or to the local shops, but the 5-minute warm up most definitely is. It’s also advisable to incorporate a 5-minute cool down at the end of the walk. This could be achieved by decreasing the pace during the last 5 minutes. Stretching thoroughly afterwards is very important to help maintain flexibility and prevent injury.
When going out for a long walk take into consideration your route, wear suitable clothing and footwear. Make sure you know where you are going and how long it’s going to take you. If you are going off road into the wilderness, take the necessary survival equipment, a map, food, drink and mobile phone and let someone know where you are going. Common sense really! Always take some water or a drink with you incase of de-hydration especially in hot weather. If you are going in rough terrain, such as the mountains, then it’s highly advisable to get some sturdy footwear like walking boots and correct all-weather clothing.
Whilst keeping fit is important, it’s also important to do something you enjoy doing. If you don’t enjoy walking then find something else you do like. The principles of getting fitter and keeping fit are the same no matter what activity you do. To keep yourself motivated follow this simple advice;
· Do something you enjoy
· Set yourself a goal so you know where you are heading
· Get a training partner
· Monitor your progress
· Join a club or group
· Set yourself a routine and stick with it
· Reward your success
· One you reached one goal, set another
· Variety is the spice of life, try something different
So now you have all you need to get started. Make a plan and just do it. Good luck.
The idea for this article was derived from ‘Tips on Walking’ at http://www.netfit.co.uk/walking-web.htm