21 Reasons Why Walking Works

There’s very few people I know who don’t think about exercise and know that it’s something they really should be doing more of. Is it any surprise that IMHO walking is the best exercise that you can do? Although I’m a fan of walking in nature, it doesn’t have to be that way. To prove how good walking is for us, here’s 21 reasons why walking works:

1. HELPS YOUR HEART

Walking briskly can lower your risk of high blood pressure and high cholesterol and diabetes, according to a new study out of Berkeley, California. All three conditions are risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

2. DEALS WITH DIABETES

Extensive research links brisk walking to a significant risk reduction for developing type-2 diabetes. A recent British study found that people with a family history of the disease who walked briskly improved insulin sensitivity.

3. TAKES STROKES IN IT’S STRIDE

Walking significantly reduces the risk of stroke and aids stroke recovery.  Long-term research shows that both men and women with increased fitness levels who did regular brisk walking had up to 40 per cent lower risk of suffering a stroke than those with the lowest fitness level.

4. HELPS BEAT BREAST CANCER

Women who regularly walk after being diagnosed with breast cancer have a 45 per cent greater chance of survival than those who are inactive, according to Yale University research.

Give anxiety the finger… well, thumb!

5. GIVES ANXIETY THE BIG A

Twenty minutes of moderate-intensity walking a day can help manage stress and anxiety by releasing feel-good endorphins into the bloodstream, according to research.

6. IT’S AN ENERGISER

A brisk walk is one of the best natural energisers around as it boosts circulation and increases oxygen supply, helping you feel more alert. It wakes up stiff joints and eases muscle tension so you feel less sluggish, research shows.

7. IS GREAT FOR THE MIND

With one in four Aussie kids suffering emotional health disorders, walking has a proven positive effect on children suffering anxiety low self-esteem.  And for adults, studies have shown regular brisk walking to be as effective as anti-depressants in cases of mild to moderate depression.

8. KICKS COLON CANCER

There is convincing evidence that physical activity protects against colon cancer. For cancer prevention, the evidence suggests 60 minutes of brisk walking every day to be most beneficial.

Brush off your health cobwebs with a good walk

9. DELAYS DEMENTIA 

Studies on men and women aged 60 to 80 found that taking a short walk three times a week increased the size of brain regions linked to planning and memory and is the best way to delay dementia, new research shows.

10. KEEPS YOU LOOKING GOOD

Walking is the perfect exercise, says the Harvard Medical School, and helps you look good, too. Walking can help strengthen and shape calves, quads, hamstrings and lift glutes, especially if you add hills. Paying attention to posture while walking can also tone abs and whittle the waist.

11. IS CHEAP AND EASY

Walking is rated by health care professionals as the most accessible form of physical activity because it’s safe, the least expensive form of exercise and has the lowest dropout rate of any type of exercise.

12. HELPS YOU LIVE LONGER

For every hour of brisk walking, life expectancy can increase by up to two hours. And it gets easier – walking for as few as 30 minutes a day improves your heart by raising the heart rate and increasing exercise tolerance.

13. IS AN IDEAL KICK STARTER

New international survey findings reveal one in three Australians is obese, making the country one of the world’s fattest nations. Walking is a proven kick start to weight loss.

14. BURNS FAT

Walking is the easiest and cheapest way to lose weight and is the most recommended exercise for people with obesity or overweight. Brisk walking for 30 minutes will burn 150-200 calories. And you can even divide the time into three 10 minutes periods.

Big deep breaths and lots of fresh air at Wollangambe Crater, Wollemi NP, Australia

15. IS A BUDGET BOOSTER

If more people were physically active for 30 minutes a day, the Australian health care system could save $1.5 billion per year, statistics show.

16. IS A LIFE SAVER

In 2007/2008, an estimated 16,178 Australians dying prematurely due to physical inactivity.

17. SAVES MONEY

Walking makes economic sense. Premiers Council for Active Living has estimated that switching 5 per cent of Sydney metro daily car trips under 1km to walking would save $134m over five years.

18. IT’S NEIGHBOURLY

Walking builds better communities.  People that walk regularly interact with their neighbours more and develop greater social capital. Research into the impact of social relationships on mortality found that people had a 50 per cent better survival rate if they had stronger social relationships. The influence of strong social relationships on the risk of death exceeds the influence of smoking and alcohol consumption.

Explore better health by walking

19. UNCLOGS CITIES

In dense urban areas, one of the best ways to tackle congestion is to increase levels of walking. The most space efficient way of moving people around is by walking. You can comfortably fit 30 pedestrians in the space taken by one car travelling at around 50kph.

20. IT SMELLS GOOD

Reduced vehicle emissions – an average car carrying 1.2 passengers emits 302 grams of CO2 equivalent per passenger kilometre. Average CO2 equivalent emissions per pedestrian are negligible.

21. BEST FOR GETTING ABOUT

If you really want to feel and experience a city or a region, it’s only by taking it on foot do we slow down enough to see the amazing things that are all around us. All those hidden back alleys, incredible views and interesting bits of history that come alive when we take the time and pace to discover them.

Data courtesy of The Heart Foundation.

Source:- http://lotsafreshair.com/2015/06/26/21-reasons-why-walking-works/

The Walking Diet: How To Walk Your Way Slim

The Ultimate Walking Diet

The Walking Diet: How to Walk Your Way Slim

When it comes to no-fuss workouts, hiking ranks right up there with walking (it iswalking-jus on uneven terrain). It's easy to do and it leaves you with a sense of accomplishment, which is why Bay Area fitness expert andShape advisory board member Lorrie Sullenberger took to it. "You can challenge yourself to hike a hill faster or to go farther then last time. I always return feeling stronger," says Loffie, whose husband-and frequent hiking partner-is hero US Airways pilot Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger.

Ten years ago, Lorrie joined a gym to lose weight. When she didn't see results, she gathered a few friends and started hiking. "It was only when my focus shifted from the size of my butt to the scenery around me that the weight began to melt away," she says. "It was enjoyable, and I finally lost those extra 35 pounds I'd been carrying around!"

Lorrie still hikes a couple of times a week and regularly treks with client. "We take jump ropes, exercise bands, and hiking poles and use the environment for moves," she says. She's created a workout exclusively for Shape that you can do on the trails or your local park. You'll be more confident after your first outing, and before you know it, you'll be stronger, fitter, and leaner.

Go to the Walking Exercise Program

The Walking Diet: How it Works

Do this routine 2 or 3 times a week. Hike for 15 or 20 minutes, stop and do 1 set of the moves, then repeat the hike and exercises as many times as you want.

The Walking Diet: What You'll Need

A resistance tube or band (your partner should have one too). If you have hiking poles, use them. They help stabilize you on uneven ground and make your trek feel easier (which means you can go longer and burn more calories!).

Go to the Walking Exercise Program

Source:- http://www.shape.com/fitness/walking-diet-how-walk-your-way-slim

How To Walk Your Way Thin

The number one reason why people give up on their health and fitness goal is because they don’t like what they are doing.  There are countless ways to get fit… but they ALL require that you do it for sometime in order for you to get results.

I’ve mentioned this in the past… the most important factor for getting results
is consistency… no matter what you do.

If you can’t stick to it you can’t get any results. It’s that simple.

I think one problem is that too many people associate exercising with pain
and suffering. Traditionally people think exercise involves going to the gym,
lifting weights or running on the treadmill, sweating, grunting… huffing and
puffing. And although that can be the case… it certainly isn’t the only way.

In fact, the person that comes to mind is my mom. She’s in her mid-70’s
and she’s in great shape. She’s in great health, has an active lifestyle but
none of it involves traditional exercising. I don’t think she’s ever set foot
in a gym… at least during the time I was growing up. She was an avid
runner for decades but stopped running in her fifties… not because of any
health issues like an injury… but because where they live in Japan, there
really is no safe place to run outside. The streets are very narrow and
there aren’t any side walks and so you’re literally sharing the road with
cars, truck and bikes. Not her idea of enjoyment… especially since
running was her form of escape from the daily stresses of life.

Anyway, even though she couldn’t run anymore, it didn’t stop her from
being active. She switched up here main activity to walking. She tries
to walk everywhere, she walks to the local grocery store which is about
20 minutes away, she walks to the train station which is about 30 minutes
away and regularly takes the train to visit her friends who live another
20 - 30 minutes from the train station. She also takes her art classes
which takes her about an hour and half one way - including about 45
minutes on the train and 45 minutes walking.

Note: If exercising isn’t an issue, but you’re wanting to get more
suggestions on how to lose weight and burn fat more effectively, stick
around because I’m going to show you a powerful tip later on that
will help you bust through any weight loss or fat burning plateau.

She eats very healthy… not because she needs to lose weight, but
because she says eating healthy gives her energy to be able to to all
the activities she likes to do. She enjoys her activities and hence
motivates her to be healthy… not the other way around. She’s not
French (...duh) and she’s never lived in France, but she follows a
very similar health philosophy. And ultimately I think that’s the key.

Eat to enjoy, eat real meals (not snacks), eat for health but most of all
eat in moderation and find something you enjoy and if it’s not physical
in nature… involve walking as much as you can. Walk to do your
errands, walk you dog, walk with friends, walk to meet your friends,
walk to work, walk at lunch, walk while working (if you have a walking
desk treadmill)... if and whenever you can walk!

If you can adapt that type of lifestyle… eating in moderation and making
walking a large part of your day… you may never need to “exercise”.
Some experts claim that you need to walk about 10,000 steps
(5.5 miles ) as day and if you want to keep track of how many steps
you’re taking a day you can get a pedometer to keep track. In fact,
getting a pedometer is probably a great idea so you can find out how
much you’re walking now.

If you live in the US and you are part of the “car culture” you’ll be quite

surprised at how little you may be walking.

If you think the figures are somewhere between 3000 - 5000 steps a day
for the average person living in the US… which is 1/3 - 1/2 of the
recommended 10,000 steps. It all starts to add up when we look at
the obesity and diabetes rate in this country. The sedentary rate of
this country is much too high… people need to get off their seats and
start moving and walking is something you can start today not matter
what shape you’re in.

Here are some of the health benefits walking can provide you:

Walking can improve aerobic fitness
Walking can decrease blood pressure
Walking can increase longevity
Walking can increase immune function
Walking can help with lose weight
Walking can help reduce stress

So if you’re having a difficult time sticking to any fitness program
because you simply don’t enjoy it. Try finding something you enjoy
doing and include walking in the process.

OK, as I promised before… if you who don’t have trouble exercising
but are always on the look out for tips and tricks to improve your
physique… I’ll show you how you can accelerate your fat burning
process simply by including a little walking into your fitness routine.

Here’s how…

Walking is a great way to burn body fat because the level of intensity
is low. I know it seems like it should be the other way around… but
here’s the deal. Your body has a few different energy sources but the
2 main energy sources are glucose and fat. Anytime you exercise
above a moderately low intensity your body uses glucose for energy…
but anything lower than that and your body starts to use fat.

Basically the less intense the exercise the more your body depends on
fat for energy and the higher the intensity the more your body depends
on glucose for energy.

So how come I’m such a huge fan of high intensity exercises? Well,
during the intense exercise session the body uses glucose for energy,
but the high level intensity enables your body to burn more fat AFTER
the exercise (EPOC). This is why working out with high intensity helps
you increase fat burning so effectively.

So how does walking fit into this?

Well, since walking is an effective (low intensity) fat burning exercise you
can combine it with the short high intensity workout to totally maximize
the rate of fat burning in your body.

Here’s what it would look like…

Perform a 5 - 10 minute high intensity workout followed by a 30 minute brisk
walking session. The 5 - 10 minute high intensity workout helps your body
“mobilize” the stored fat into your blood stream and then the brisk walk helps
burn it off more quickly and effectively.

Give this combo workout a try if you’ve been stuck in a rut with your fat loss…
or if you’re simply looking to change things up.

Stay Lean,

by: Shin Ohtake, Fitness & Fat-Loss Expert

Author of MAX Workouts, The Ultimate Lean Body Fitness Program




Source:- http://www.maxworkouts.com/articles/entry/how-to-walk-your-way-thin

TIPS FOR WALKING FASTER

1. Use good posture. Walk tall, look forward, (not at the ground) gazing about 20 feet ahead. Your chin should be level and your head up. 2. Keep your chest raised, and shoulders relaxed (shoulders down, back and relaxed). 3. Bend your arms in slightly less than a 90 degree angle. Cup your hands gently. Swing arms front to back (not side to side - arms should not cross your body.) Do not swing elbows  higher than your sternum (breast bone). Swing your arms faster and your feet will follow. 4. Tighten your abs and buttocks.. Flatten your back and tilt your pelvis slightly forward. 5. Pretend you are walking along a straight line. Resist the urge to elongate your steps. To go faster -- take smaller, faster steps. 6. Push off with your toes. Concentrate on landing on your heel, rolling through the step  and pushing off with your toes. Use the natural spring of your calf muscles to propel you forward. 7. Breathe naturally. As you walk, take deep, rhythmic breaths, to get the maximum amount of oxygen through your system. Walk fast enough that your breathing is  increased yet you are not out of breath. WALKING DON'TS Common mistakes made by walkers...  1. Do not over stride 2. Do not use too vigorous arm movements 3. Do not look at the ground 4. Do not hunch your shoulders 5. Do not carry hand weights or place weights on your ankles What is the difference in power walking, fitness walking, and racewalking? Fitness walking is called by many different names - power walking, fitness walking, health walking. Power walking is commonly used to represent an  exaggerated walking style. This style of overstriding and exaggerated arm  movements is often linked with injuries. Because of this I don't generally use  the term power walking. A better term for a healthful energetic walking pace  is "fitness walking". Fitness walking is much more than a stroll or nature walk. When fitness  walking you incorporate the muscles of the upper body making it a  GREAT aerobic activity. It burns approximately the same calories as  running, yet it is much easier on the body. Because more muscles are used  it burns calories much quicker than less aggressive walking. It also tones  muscles in the buttocks, thighs, hips, shoulders, upper back and abs. Most fitness walkers average about 12 to 15 minutes per mile. Unlike racewalking; there is no official definition. There are no rules.  If you walk at a purposeful fitness walking pace using good technique  you are a fitness walker. Use tips above to insure good walking form and to increase your pace.

Source:- http://www.thewalkingsite.com/howtowalk.html

The Six Secrets of the Most Successful Slimmers

It's that time again when we all resolve to clean up our eating habits, get fit and lose weight but statistics show that less than 5% of us actually succeed long term.  So what does it take to make sure that you win the war against weight gain?

According to the National Weight Control Registry (a massive ongoing US study that has tracked the eating and exercise habits of over 10,000 people who have successfully lost at least 30 pounds for a year or longer) there are six habits that set the successful slimmers apart.

Habit 1: Successful slimmers are realistic goal setters
Instead of focusing on a weight that they would like to be to look good they focus on a weight that they know will help them feel good.

It's no use being super slim but eternally hungry or tired. Focus instead on a weight that is realistic for your body, one that will help you to be healthy and happy long term. Ask yourself what is the lightest I have been in my adult life for a period lasting longer than six months. This will give you a good idea of what is a realistic and achievable weight for you.

Habit 2: Successful slimmers want to be a 'tortoise' not a 'hare'
Weight losses of the study's participants have ranged from 30 to 300lbs and have taken between one and 14 years.

Whilst no-one is suggesting you should take 14 years to achieve your goals, these statistics do emphasise the importance of taking a slow and steady approach. Long term success is never achieved with a fast fix solution so aim to lose no more than two pounds a week. Any more than this and it is highly likely you'll be losing lean muscle tissue which will only reduce your body's ability to burn calories in the long run.

Habit 3: Successful slimmers take full responsibility
They realise that there is no point blaming external people or circumstances for their weight.  They also understand that they must lose weight for themselves — not to please others and accept that there are no magic pills or potions that will do it for them.

Be honest enough to identify the real reasons you have gained weight in the first place and have the courage to tackle those root causes head on. Accept that whilst others may be able to eat anything and never seem to gain a pound you simply cannot and therefore need to adopt an eating an exercising regime that takes this into account.

Habit 4: Successful slimmers exercise — a lot!
The successful participants lost weight in a number of ways, 55% with the help of some kind of programme whilst 45% achieved success by themselves.  However, almost all have found that in order to maintain their weight losses they need to exercise for approximately an hour a day.

Start by upping your general activity levels. 62% of the successful slimmers watched less than 10 hours of TV a week and 75% achieved their exercise hours through an increased amount of walking. Buy a pedometer and aim for the recommended 10,000 steps a day. Walk or cycle to work and back and power walk through your lunch breaks. Then, once you're moving more build in some structured exercise on top. Start attending fitness classes, swim after work, enroll in a tennis club or take up dancing. Whatever you do, find a way of exercising that fits with your lifestyle and adds quality to your life.

Habit 5: Successful slimmers don't even try to be perfect
They understand that to be a long term success it's all about getting it right most of the time — but not all! They don't ban foods and they certainly don't beat themselves up when they 'fall off the wagon'. They see exercise and healthy eating as something they deserve to have in their lives to help them feel better not as a grueling regime or a punishment. They eat smaller portions which enable them to have the odd treat here and there and they don't just reward themselves with food. They understand the value in other rewards such as a manicure or a hot bath and they don't obsess over the scales.

Habit 6: Successful slimmers eat real food 
They also eat at regular intervals. 78% ate breakfast every day and almost all monitored calories or portion sizes but steered clear of pills, potions or pre-packed diet foods.

Eat at least seven servings of fresh fruit and vegetables a day along side good quality, slow releasing carbohydrates. Limit fat, sugar and alcohol and adopt a consistent eating pattern regardless of whether it's a weekday, weekend or holiday.  Make sure you listen to your body too and only eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full.

This article is published on Yahoo Lifestyle and written by Rachael Anne Hill.  You can read it here:-   https://uk.lifestyle.yahoo.com/blogs/rachael-anne-hill/six-secrets-most-successful-slimmers-134705771.html

Slimming Down Sensibly - Ultra Silent Subliminal Track