Walking: a step in the right direction

You live quite a sedentary life, you're definitely carrying quite a few extra pounds of unneeded weight, and you've been promising yourself to start exercising 'tomorrow', but your overwhelming life schedule keeps getting in the way and 'tomorrow' never comes. Sound familiar? Well, you're not alone. There are countless other people going through the same predicament.

If you want to make exercise part of your life, one of the best ways to start is so simple: start walking! Movement is essential to health and you can't get more basic then walking. Despite seeming 'simple', you actually use hundreds of muscles while walking, which includes the coordinated use of your arms, legs and torso. This means that you can burn tons of calories, and the more de-conditioned you are the greater its effect on your metabolism. (1)

Walking at a consistent pace and effort synchronizes breath and movement, which results in a rhythmic contraction and relaxation of muscles and rhythmic pressure changes in body cavities. As a result, the circulation of blood, lymph and even synovial fluid (the lubricating fluid made in joints) can improve. Since your blood and lymphatic fluids do the job of transporting much of your immune system, improving your circulation through walking can improve the function of your immune system as well. (1)

Walking also increases your desire to drink water, which aids in detoxification and elimination, as well as improving digestion.

Once you experience the benefits of walking, you will see first hand how daily exercise, while not necessarily strenuous, can make you feel great! From here you can slowly progress to other forms of exercise such as strength training and more strenuous forms of cardiovascular activity.

Sometimes just simply joining a gym or fitness program can stress you out because it is so beyond your comfort zone. Walking is free, requires no special equipment and you can do it anywhere, and anytime! Start simple: vow to take the stairs at work, enjoy a leisurely walk to work instead of sitting in traffic and starting your day stressed (if you live far from work get off the subway or bus a few stops early and walk the rest of the way), walk to get groceries, listen to your favorite music while walking and you will see that time flies by!

Yours in health.

Daniela (1) The Power of Walking by Paul Check.