Just think. You can leave that couch behind, get great exercise, improve your health and fitness...and start to feel great again. The benefits of walking are all for free! Just by putting one foot in front of another. As some of the young 'uns say these days-'How good a deal is that!
Need more reasons? When you walk, you reduce your blood pressure and improve your cardiovascular functions. Heart health is huge in enjoying a healthier lifestyle. That alone makes it worth getting back out there doesn't it?
When you walk, it has a positive impact on your weight and age-related illnesses. It helps build muscle strength and endurance and ...maintain healthier bones and joints. Result? Fewer aches and pain.
More benefits of walking! Your stress level is diminished and...you've slowed down the aging process. You leave the extra baggage in the 'caboose' behind! Very sweet indeed!
And...your renewed energy gives you the urge (and ability) to start doing more outdoor activities with your family and friends. Maybe your grandkids.
Off the couch and well on your way to adding the fun back into your life. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about, isn't it?
Enough benefits of walking for now? Almost ready? Let's Start Walking?
Just before you do though it's time to ...
See Your Doctor Or Health Professional First!
Have you noticed that we really love the walking part? Great!
There's a couple of parts we must defer to the experts on though.
First you need to check with your doctor or health professional and let him or her know you want to start this new walking program. Get your 'green light' so you can be on your way to enjoying the many benefits of walking!
While you're there, you need to talk also about eating healthy and following a really good diet! Get specific diet and nutrition guidance designed just for you.
Got your 'green light'? Great!
Now you're ready. Let's Start Walking!
Or you're welcome to discover...
A Few More Benefits Of Walking*
Controlling Your Weight
Natural Anti-Aging
Maintaining Your Blood Pressure
Walking is Good For Your Brain
Walking Reduces Risk of Breast & Colon Cancer
Walking Helps Prevents Type 2 Diabetes
Heart Health
Walking Helps Alleviate Symptoms of Depression
Walking Improves Fitness
Walking Improves Your Daily Physical Functioning
Walking Is Good For Your Bones
*Special Note: References to studies cited in the following were sourced from MedicineNet.com, part of the WebMD network, Archives of Internal Medicine, Canadian Cancer Society, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Journal of Epidemiology. Specific references are included where available.
Controlling Your Weight
Weight loss by walking! A great way to control your weight. You daily walking actually burns calories and you feel the difference. Those calories burned walking actually increase as your walking distance and speed increases.
You gain a new sense of energy. It's the start of your walking journey to be the best you can be!
Natural Anti-Aging
Fitness walking gives you great cardiovascular exercise, gets your heart rate up, reduces cholesterol, builds muscle and burns fat. You feel better and you're happier. Add those all up and you're enjoying natural anti aging and slowing the aging process!
Regular walking also increases your overall health by boosting your circulation, keeping your energy level up and your spirits high. You look and feel younger longer!
Walking in the sunshine helps your skin produce vitamin D, a vitamin essential to good health. Recent studies in both Canada and the US show that this essential vitamin can lower cancer rates, risk of death and risk of osteoporosis in people over 50.
Walking helps shape and tone your legs and butt, slims your waist and helps you sleep better. Your stress level goes down as you spirit goes up! More reasons to put a big smile on your face. You do age more slowly!
You just gotta love those benefits of walking now don't you!
(Return to More Benefits)
Maintaining Your Blood Pressure
A new study* shows that even if you do a little bit of weekly exercise, it's enough to lower your blood pressure and improve your overall fitness.
Thirty minutes of walking three times a week. Nine easy ten minute walks throughout the day and week.
Either way it's enough to have a healthy effect on your blood pressure. Works great on your measurements around the waist and hip too. Soon you'll be saying bye bye to some of your 'caboose'!
*Tully, M. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Aug. 13, 2007; vol 61: pp 778-783
Walking is Good For Your Brain
In a study* on walking and cognitive function, researchers studied women who walked at an easy pace for at least 90 minutes each week. They found the women had significantly better cognitive function and less cognitive decline than women who walked less than 40 minutes per week.
Think about that!
*114th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, Aug. 11, 2006.
Walking Reduces the Risk of Breast and Colon Cancer
Women who walk briskly for between 75-150 minutes per week, had an 18% decrease in risk of breast cancer compared with inactive women.
Many studies show that exercise also helps prevent colon cancer. In individuals that had developed colon cancer, the benefits of exercise appeared to continue - both by increasing their quality of life and reducing their mortality.
Those are certainly powerful benefits of walking aren't they?
Walking Helps Prevents Type 2 Diabetes
The Diabetes Prevention* program showed that walking 150 minutes per week and losing just 7% of you body weight can reduce your risk of diabetes by 58%!
The new findings also show people don't need to run marathons or try starvation diets. Just walk! Seven percent weight loss is a reasonable goal don't you think?
That's a pretty easy way reduce your diabetes risk.
*Medical Author: Ruchi Mathur, M.D.,Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr, MD, FACP, FACR
Heart Health
As you walk more and pick up momentum, you start to feel different...fitter and stronger! With this improvement you also improve your cardiovascular function and reduce the possibility of a heart attack. Walking strengthens your heart!
If you're a female who walk three hours or more a week, you reduce your risk of a heart attack or other coronary event by 35% compared to women who did not walk.
If you're a retired male who walks less than a mile a day, your risk of heart attack is nearly twice that of retired men that walk more than two miles per day!
Stop and think about how many friends or family have had a heart attack. Would reducing that possibility be one of the huge benefits of walking for you
Walking Helps Alleviate Symptoms of Depression
Walking for 30 minutes, three to five times a week for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of depression by 47% (as measured using a standard depression questionnaire).
It also gets you outside to get your daily dose of vitamin D. Your spirit is lifted.
No need to worry about meeting any grumpy walkers on your walks. Walkers are happy people! They're happy to stop and chat a bit before moving on.
You've found a fun way to meet new friends. That's one of the very special benefits of walking for sure!
Walking Improves Fitness
Walking just three times a week for 30 minutes can significantly increase cardiorespiratory fitness. Walk tall, look ahead, and swing your arms. Your circulation is improved. Your breathing is improved. You feel the spring in your steps!
Yup. Pretty soon you're a whole lot more fit and hooked for life!
Walking Improves Your Daily Physical Functioning
Research shows that walking improves your fitness and ability to carry out the activities of daily living. Things like dressing, bathing, grooming, personal hygiene. It has also been shown to help in the prevention of disabilities in older folks like us!
It helps you keep your balance. It keeps you stronger and more flexible. Everyday physical activities becomes easier. When it's easier it's sure a lot more fun!
Walking Is Good For Your Bones
Research shows that postmenopausal women who walk approximately one mile each day have higher whole-body bone density than women who walk shorter distances. It also shows that walking is effective in slowing the rate of bone loss from the legs.
Source: http://www.50plus-fitness-walking.com/benefits-of-walking.html
