Exercise doesn’t have to be all about weight lifting and intensive running. There are benefits to be reaped from something as seemingly straight-forward as walking. As we get older, we may not be able to run as fast or lift as much as we used to, but that’s okay so long as we’re still willing to get out there and engage in some kind of fitness. Walking a good distance per day may be sufficient for a healthy lifestyle.
A recent article out of Las Vegas offered some tips to persons who are trying to maintain proper fitness by engaging in a regular walking regimen. If this is your exercise of choice, then understanding these steps can improve your lifestyle and may just end up adding a couple years to your life.
One of the hardest things to do if you haven’t exercised in awhile is simply knowing where to start. As cliche as it sounds, the first step is always going to be the most difficult. Put one foot ahead of the other and take a 20 minute walk around the block. If you don’t want to get too far away from your home, then take a couple circuitous laps around the house. No one ever walked this way and then didn’t feel good about themselves. When you do this a couple times, you’ll want to do it more, and that’s when you can begin to increase your time and distance, maybe even your pace.
The biggest challenge won’t be distance or time after you’ve done the exercise for awhile; one of the hardest things will be maintaining enthusiasm for your walk once you’ve done the same thing over and over again, especially if you’ve taken the same path every time.
Switch things up as you go about your continued exercise. Try out some different routes when you think you’re ready for them. Drive somewhere to go walk in an area that you’re not used to. In fact, this can also help you to enlist some friends to engage in the exercise with. You can choose a designated meeting spot and then take the walk together. This has the added benefit of providing conversation and companionship along the route. And if an injury takes place or some other emergency occurs, someone else will be there to help out.
With spring here, this is the perfect season to walk, but there will still come times when the weather proves more adversarial than helpful. A treadmill inside your home can help you get your exercise in at such times, as can heading to a gym where you feel comfortable.
For more tips, click the link at the top.