Aug 24, 2008, Multiply, Tribute to walking

A TRIBUTE TO WALKING

Something I feel I know quite a lot about since it seems to have been my main occupation (apart from writing here) for the past couple of months during the holidays. Now that I’m back at work my walking AND  my writing are taking a bit of a back seat, which is a shame because not only was the walking most enjoyable I’m sure it’s pretty healthy too. Had a bit of a look around a few sites and it seems walking is most defiantly recommended for a healthier life style. So…… read on,

Information from

http://www.ramblers.org.uk/INFO/everyone/health.html

Walking for health

There’s no doubt about it, walking is good for you. It’s good for your heart, it’s good for your lungs, it’s good for the muscle and bone growth of your children and it’s good for your feeling of wellbeing! Strong scientific evidence now supports the many benefits to health of regular walking.

"I have two doctors, my left leg and my right."
George Trevelyan, 1913

"Walking is the nearest activity to perfect exercise".
Professor J Morris and Dr Adrianne Hardman, 1997

• Health benefits of walking
• Walking for general health and longevity
• Walking to increase fitness
• Walking for weight control
• Walking for mental health
• Walking to regain health after illness
• What about children?
• Ideas for town and city dwellers
• Where to go for more help
• References
• Take 30 booklet with 10-week walking plan



This is continued on their web space address above

Information from

http://www.feetforlife.org/cgi-bin/item.cgi?ap=1&id=642&d=pnd&dateformat=%25o-%25B

Benefits of Walking

Sponsored by; the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists

Walking is a relaxing and enjoyable way to keep healthy and, as it requires no equipment or expense, is the perfect way to exercise.

How walking can help health and fitness:

  Promotes psychological well-being and reduces feelings of stress and depression

  Reduces tiredness and gives people more energy for everyday tasks

  Promotes better sleep

  Helps the muscles and ligaments in the feet to work more efficiently, and keep them supple and flexible

  Reduces depression and anxiety

  Helps people achieve and maintain a healthy body weight

  Helps build and maintain healthy bones, muscles, and joints

  Helps to reduce the risks of many serious health problems in old age

  Helps to reduce the risk of developing non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetes mellitus

  Helps to reduce the risks of developing osteoporosis

  Helps to reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD)

  Helps to lower the risk of developing high blood pressure

  Helps to reduce blood pressure in people who already have hypertension

  Helps to lower total blood cholesterol

  Helps to reduce the risk of stroke

  Helps to reduce the risk of developing colon and breast cancer…………………………….continued on their website

Information from

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/women4060/Pages/Walktohealth.aspx

Walk your way to health

Walking 10,000 steps a day (about five miles) can give you a healthy heart and reduce your body fat.

Walking can’t really get you fit, can it?

Yes it can. Walking is good for your heart and lungs, improving cardiovascular fitness. Most of the work is done by the muscles of the lower body, and it’s a weight-bearing activity, so it can help improve bone density. At the same time, it’s low impact, so it won’t strain your joints.

Surely you really need to go to the gym for a proper workout?

Doing a thorough workout at the gym is excellent and you can get good advice from the instructors about the best exercise for you. But ask yourself these two questions: do you actually go to the gym? And how often?

 The beauty of walking is that it can be fitted into your daily routine. It’s free, saves on petrol or bus fares and is better for the planet. Half of all journeys in the UK are under two miles.

 I’d have to walk really fast to burn calories.

Not true. It’s the distance covered that matters, not the time. If you walk faster you will burn calories at a faster rate but you’ll arrive quicker.

 Your size, stride and speed will affect how many calories your burn in 10,000 steps. For an 11 stone woman walking at a fairly brisk pace of 3.5 miles an hour, it would take around 90 minutes and burn more than 400 calories.

 Isn’t walking too easy if I want to get fit?

It depends how fit you want to get. If you want to get fit for sport then yes, you do need to work hard. And sport or working out in the gym are popular ways of getting and keeping fit. But you can get major health benefits from relatively mild exercise, as long as you do enough and do it regularly.

 Latest scientific evidence shows that walking one mile in 15 minutes burns about the same number of calories as running a mile in eight and a half minutes. And the calories you can lose soon add up if you walk an extra hour a day. Of course, you have to watch your diet too: walking for 15 minutes isn’t a licence to eat whatever you like.

Continued on their web site………………………..

This is just a small sample of the information out there telling us the benefits of walking. But so far this has told us what personal benefits we get from walking, what about the benefits to the planet??

    .every time we chose to walk instead of taking transport we save fuel and cut dangerous emissions.

     Walking rather than driving saves wear and tear on the roads and helps minimise maintanance.

    If we stay healthier we tend to have the thermostat set lower.

    AND…………..most people love my photos, well I would not have seen half of those views from a car or bus window, to see it you need to be out there in it.

You don't see views like this from the road! so lets all walk a bit more, get healthy, enjoy the views and  protect the earth all at the same time.

delete reply ladyexpat wrote on Sep 10, '08 I try to walk everyday, or at least every second day. My Dad is 86, and walks at least 2 hours every day. He says if he doesn't walk he gets stiff. Then he wouldn't be able to do all the things he likes to do like gardening, fishing and hunting:)

delete reply starfishred wrote on Aug 24, '08 I walk but I love to swim go 3x aweek in a thermal pool but I walk every where in my village no need for a car walking is better-great blog loretta

delete reply ruraldiva wrote on Aug 24, '08 Love to walk. A great stress reducer. Thanks for this blog.

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Aug 24, '08 Oh, um, excuse me, you mean walking a mile is not an excuse for eating white chocolate and ice cream at the end of the day? Rats!

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Aug 24, '08 I am addicted to walking and even if I am sick I walk a mile a day if at all possible. Hmm - not in 15 minutes though. I am too inclined to stop and look at things. But usually in 20 and I try to walk briskly when I am not taking a picture or looking at things.

delete reply grandmagardener wrote on Aug 24, '08 Yes!!!!

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Aug 24, '08 How true! I love walking unless I have to do it in the heat of the day and then it's staying in the shade as much as possible. As a matter of fact, I try to stay inside at midday in the summer in case I meet a mad dog or an Englishman. lol

delete reply greenwytch wrote on Aug 24, '08 excellent! hear, hear, for the walkers.....there is absolutely NOTHING that is better for the body, mind and spirit. great blog, thank you!