Well, walking is safe, effective and low-impact on the joints. It doesn’t require practice or any special ability, yet the health benefits are many. Besides trimming your waistline, it can help:

• Lower blood pressure
• Reduce the risk of or manage Type 2 diabetes
• Lower bad cholesterol
• Raise good cholesterol
• Improve your mood and help you stay fit and strong
• Walking stimulates blood flow and provides oxygen to the brain, which leads to improved functioning and better ability to recall.

How Fast & Far Should I Walk?

You should “walk as if you’re late.” So a slow stroll doesn’t count. Beginners should start with a level path, and begin with 15 minutes per walk, 3-5 times per week. Once you feel comfortable with that, increase either the duration or speed.

You’d be amazed that even body builders use walking to burn calories. Walking provides a slow steady calorie burn, and the intensity can be increased with an elevated path. That’s one reason why hiking is such great exercise. When walking uphill, you get cardiovascular and muscular benefit.

So, find a local hike and enjoy the great outdoors, and intense workout. To increase the intensity, you can use resistance bands, or hand weights to swing and lift in various ways to engage the upper body and arms.

Cardio Health Benefits
Walking is a form of cardiovascular exercise (cardio).

Cardio is any exercise that raises your heart rate. A stronger cardiovascular system means more capillaries delivering more oxygen to cells in your muscles. This enables your cells to burn more fat during both exercise and inactivity. The bottom line? Walking increases your endurance.

Other Tips

Walking outside to get the benefits of natural sunlight and vitamin D. To help pass the time, you can listen to music or walk with a friend instead of going out to lunch. You can also get a pedometer, which tracks the number of steps you take. Set a goal to take 10,000 steps per day!

Try “Burst” Training

Did you know that a short burst of intense exercise is extremely beneficial not only for overall fitness but for building lean muscle tissue, burning fat and promoting longevity? If you want an even higher calorie, faster-fat burn, better brain booster exercise, try burst training. Also known as interval training, burst training involves periods of high-intensity bursts (or fast walk) followed by a few minutes of lower-intensity speeds (slow walk).

The biggest benefit of burst training is it will convert you from a fat-storer to a fat-burner. Short-burst training helps raise endorphins, life your mood, and make you feel more energized.

A Healthy Brain Matters
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