Walking Leads to a Healthier Lifestyle

Walking is a fantastic way to get active and improve your health. Just a few more extra steps a day can help! If you are new to exercise, it’s a great way to slowly introduce a new daily routine as you can do it in your own time, at your own pace and its free. You can easily build walks into a busy lifestyle as you can do it pretty much anywhere, at any time.

As well as being a great way to get from A-B, walking is:

• good for your health – it has many benefits including reducing your risk of health
• free – it won’t cost you a penny as you don’t pay for fuel, parking or transport fares
• sociable – there are lots of walking groups, or you can do it with a friend
• a great way to discover new areas  – it’s amazing what you find just from taking a different route
• environmentally friendly – walking instead of driving means less pollution

Brisk walking that raises your heart rate and makes you warm and slightly breathless is a great form of aerobic exercise. This helps you to get fitter so you will find it easier to be more active and get tired less quickly. It is common to feel more tired in the first week or so, but if you carry on you will find exercise easier than when you are inactive.

Below is a chart showing you how easy it is, 150 Calories would be burnt playing doubles tennis for the same length of time. And it’s more than half the number of calories in the average chocolate bar!

Although the exact number you burn depends on your body weight, age and fitness, there’s no denying that walking more is a good thing.

There are other health benefits to walking, for example you can reduce the risk of:

• cardiovascular diseases, such as high blood pressure and stroke
• high cholesterol
• diabetes
• coronary heart disease

Have you got the right gear?

Walking isn’t going to be much fun if you’re in pain from blisters or challenged by the British weather. But remember, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

• Buy a reasonable pair of shoes or trainers. They need to be comfortable and provide adequate support.
• Get some good waterproofs – admittedly they might not be the height of fashion but you’ll enjoy your walk much more if you keep dry.
• If you’re walking to make the most of a sunny day, take some water, sunscreen and a sun hat to stay safe in the sun.
• Maybe you’re setting your sights on mountains rather than city streets. If so, you might want to get some advice on walking boots and other specialist gear.

See our 'How to Prevent a Blister' blog for advice and tips.