The Health Benefits of Walking

One of the things I like to do is recreational walking. I find that walking keeps me fit and is enjoyable. In this article I will explain what recreational and fitness walking is, present information on the benefits of walking from the NHS and briefly describe fitbug.

Casual non-competitive walking is very popular and is great for relaxation and exercise. The walking been discussed here is very relaxed and can be simply a stroll around your local neighbourhood. Of course, it can also be a daily walking programme, over several miles undertaken for health and fitness reasons. The only real equipment to start walking is a comfortable pair of shoes or trainers. One of the major benefits walking has over running or jogging is it is lower impact reducing potential injuries.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica

The latest information from the NHS states "walking 10,000 steps a day can give you a healthy heart and reduce your body fat." The latest scientific evidence suggested that walking can be just as beneficial as running providing the same distance is covered. For instance, walking a mile in 15 minutes burns a similar amount of calories as running a mile in eight and a half minutes.

The following is some interesting facts on exercise:

• It is estimated that only 30% of people do enough exercise
• If this does not improve in two years time only one in four people will get into a standardised office chair
• In fact, inactivity now has a bigger impact on heart disease than smoking with 37% of deaths due to inactivity, compared with only 19% due to smoking
• 10,000 steps is equal to 5 miles, but most of us walk only 4,500 steps a day

The good news is walking can be hugely beneficial and the benefits included increasing muscle tone, boosting metabolism, easing stress raising energy levels and improving sleep, which combined will help weight loss. It can also reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and arthritis. It's never too late to start because new research suggests that getting some exercise now can turn back the clock by three years. Now the best way to start counting those steps is by getting a pedometer, which is available for as little as £10.

Source: NHS

If you're looking for something, which offers a little more than a conventional pedometer, may I recommend Fitbug. With Fitbug, customers receive a pedometer and a personalised fitness programme. The great thing about it, is it centres around walking, which is something everyone can do. This way it never really feels like exercise making it fun and addictive.

When someone first signs up for Fitbug they receive a small box containing the pedometer, a tape measure and the Fitbug user guide. The next step is to log on to Fitbug.com and answer various questions. These are things such as level of fitness and critical information such as height and weight. Then you will be asked to set some targets such as a target weight. You will then be provided with the user name and password and have a personal page on Fitbug.com.

The first week you were asked to carry on as you would in a typical week, but wearing your Fitbug, which is the pedometer. The following week, you will be set an initial step target. This is the number of steps you should aim to walk every day. These targets change at the start of each week depending on how well you are doing. In addition to this on Fitbug.com you can also record what you eat. Fitbug will provide you with personalised meal plans, and there is also a community to interact with. For further information please go to Fitbug.com.

References:

Walk your way to health. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2008, from

http://www.nhs.uk

Walking. (2008). In

Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved September 27,

2008, from Encyclopaedia Online:

http://www.britannica.com