Walking is One of Simplest Ways to Burn Fat and Increase Muscle Tone!
As a generation that leads a mostly sedentary lifestyle, we struggle with a lot of diseases and conditions that may have been avoided altogether had we but walked a little. Walking has been lauded as one of the most beneficial forms of low impact exercises one can perform.
Women know that walking for 40 minutes on a daily basis does wonders to melt away those cellulite ridden thighs and to give their bums that perfectly perked up look. It has also been said that walking at least 10,000 steps a day can help increase the chances of surviving breast cancer.
Besides the fact that it is an ultra-cheap form of exercise, the benefits of walking far outweigh the atrocities of sitting on the couch and wallowing. Here are some astonishing benefits of this simple, yet powerful form of exercise.
- It makes your heart stronger
Matters of the heart tend to be a little sensitive sometimes. Especially where love is involved. Although we would love to tell you that walking can actually help with the prevention of a broken heart, alas, we cannot.
Exercise Gurus have repeatedly said that raising your heart rate is the best way to keep those muscles strong and working properly. Research has shown that walking briskly for about 30 minutes every now and then ensures that your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels are lowered. All the while, your HDL (good cholesterol) levels are heightened.
This all accumulates to one thing, it keeps your blood pressure levels in check. High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of stroke. By ensuring that it is kept within the acceptable range, you essentially ensure that your chances of getting a stroke are reduced. Briskly walking and raising your heart rate frequently reduces your chances of stroking out by a whole 27%.
So walking to keep fit is great for your heart. - It's a great way to ward off diabetes
You might have heard that Type 2 diabetes runs in the family. It runs in my family. Which is another reason I walk every day. Walk to get thin and/or just get in shape my doctor says.
People who have a family history of this disease are at a greater risk of developing it than people without. Insulin resistance is also a major predicator even for people who have what you could consider normal glucose levels.
A British study showed that taking a brisk walk every now and then reduces the chances of an 'at risk' individual to develop Type 2 diabetes. It was found that brisk walks improved the individual's insulin sensitivity. - It burns off those calories
Since walking is a form of exercise, it is therefore not a very far leap to say that it helps you keep your weight in check.
Nutritionists say that anyone trying to lose weight should strive to burn off 600 calories more than they consume in a day. 600 calories may not sound like much, but trying to burn that off in a day is no easy fit. Walking has been found to be one of the simplest ways to do this.
It has been found that for an average 60kg individual to burn off 75 calories, they need to walk at a leisurely pace of 2mph for about 30 minutes. For the same person to lose about 99 calories, they need to increase that leisurely rate to about 3mph. For 150 calories, about 4mph. You can see the pattern.
Additionally, walking increases your muscle tone and mass. This in turn increases your metabolism, which means you will burn off more calories even when at rest. - It improves your sex life
This can be said about exercise in general, but studies have shown that women above 45 who ensure that they are physically active, meaning they take many brisk walks as a form of exercise, experience better sex lives and