Easy does it: no-work workouts
The safest, cheapest exercise you’ll love to do anywhere, anytime
Walking doesn’t require any special talent or training — you just do it without thinking. Yet if you put a little extra time and effort into it each day, you get amazing results. You lose weight, have more energy, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, think more clearly, have less anxiety, and sleep a whole lot better. And that’s just the beginning.
Benefits like these have turned walking into one of the most popular fitness activities ever. People tend to give up on most exercise programs after the first big push, but walkers are more like the Energizer Bunny — they keep on going. That’s because they discover it is a steady, sure way to health and fitness. Research shows that walking is a simple method you can use to reduce or even eliminate your everyday aches and pains. Walkers don’t stop when they get older, either. More men over age 65 are regular walkers than in any other age group. For many people, a daily walk has become their ticket to a longer, healthier, more enjoyable life.
Want more reasons to walk? Try these five and see if they don’t persuade you to put on your walking shoes right now.
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You can walk just about any time you’re in the mood. You don’t have to make a reservation, change clothes, or wait for others to join you.
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You can afford it. There are no clubs to join or expensive equipment to buy. All you really need are comfortable clothes and supportive shoes.
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You can adjust your walking schedule around your other activities. If you need a break or have a few spare minutes, take a walk.
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You can do it anywhere — in your own neighborhood or local park, while you’re shopping, even when you’re out of town. If the weather is bad and you don’t want to dress for it, walk indoors. The local mall is an ideal place if you don’t have a treadmill.
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You are less likely to get hurt than with other activities.
Walking is low impact, so you don’t have the stress on your joints that leads to blown-out knees, sprained ankles, and bad backs. Other health risks are almost zero, because it’s less strenuous than most activities.
- FC&A Staff Writer
