Many of us may ask
why is walking important to me?
Why should I go out and walk? One reason is that by walking to work or
school you help to keep the environment around you clean. Of the pollution
harming the air in the United States “80 percent of carbon monoxide” comes from
the vehicles we constantly drive. Having fewer cars on the road would also reduce
the amount of congestion on the roads and allow those people who do have to
drive to work to get there in a timely matter. For most employers this would mean getting the most out of
their employees, for others this means not having to spend an outrageous amount
of money on gas traveling such small distances. Another reason to get out and walk is because it is good for
your body. Participating in at least 30-minutes a day of some kind of physical
activity has been proven to provide numerous health benefits (Why Walking is so
Important). Walking also gives you
a solid foundation of movements to help train your body for more strenuous
activities, such as running, should you feel ready to take your work out to the
next level (Allen).
If someone were to come up to you and
asked you if you knew how to walk, you would find it a little strange? You might even think, well you just put
one foot in front of the other while moving forward. While this is one way to
explain walking, it doesn’t explain the good form needed to get the most out of
your walk for fitness. Good form
requires that an individual keep their head up, body relaxed but not so much
that they are slumped over, and smooth even steps. Together these factors allow the person walking to achieve
the most out of their walk (Walking, 2013). In addition to having good form, it is beneficial to own a
decent pair of walking shoes. A
good pair of shoes will fit to your feet, allowing you the maximum comfort for
the shape and size of your foot. When you go to buy shoes, it is a good idea to
have a store associate help you measure your foot to get an accurate
measurement of your feet. This
will help in the longer run to ensure that you are paired with shoes that are
less likely to cause you injury from prolonged use. All together form and a good pair of shoes will ensure you
reap the benefits of your walking routine (Walking Shoes, 2011).
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/medical/IM02436
Walking
provides numerous benefits to individuals who choose to participate in this low
impact form of exercise. It is a
good way to sustain a healthy weight and if done for a prolonged period of
time, walking can help trim down excess body fat (Walking, 2013). Walking also helps to keep certain
illnesses at bay such as heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and
diabetes. With heart disease,
walking helps to increase the amount of blood flowing thru the body, which
helps keep fresh oxygenated blood pumped into the heart. The increase of blood flowing thru the
heart also helps reduce the risk of a blood clot forming in the arteries that
supply the heart with blood. High blood pressure, “the silent killer,” causes
the heart to work harder to pump blood through your arteries. Daily walking can aid in keeping your
heart from over working itself by getting more oxygen rich blood pumping
through your arteries, helping them relax more which decreases the risk of high
blood pressure (Boone, 2013). It
is important that while walking is great exercise it should be done in
moderation. Overtraining or over
working your body will do you more harm than good and will decrease the number
of benefits you see while performing your routine.
In
a changing world technology is apart of our everyday lives. Apps are on our phones and help
entertain us and provide us information.
There are plenty of apps out for walking and exercise that allow an
individual to track their miles, log their time, and figure out the calories
they burned in that time period. Popular
apps include, Nike, Map my Walk, and Endomondo, all available for free in the
app store at Itunes. But
researcher are not trying to reach the younger generations anymore, the focus
has turned to older generations who may not be the most tech savvy individuals. Angela Herring (2013) wrote on a recent
study that was conducted to help motivate older generations to get out and
start walking. Researchers created
an app that not only sounded like a real human but also had a “history” and
could empathize with its user about exercise. Researchers studied a group at a California community center
and came back with positive results showing that this human life app really
helped to motivate and increase the activity in older generations. The study is currently in the works of
be tested on a wider scale to reach a larger population (Herring, 2013).
There
are many ways to get involved in walking.
It is as simple as getting out and letting your feet just carry you,
preferably in a loop so you arrive back at your starting location. If walking by yourself isn’t your style,
there are walking groups/clubs that you can join or if there isn’t one that you
can start. The American Heart
Association has a link on their website for community members interested in
starting walking clubs and it is completely free!
Resources
Allen, J. (n.d.).
Why Walking is Important for Exercise. Runner's World & Running Times.
Running Shoes, Gear, Tips, Training, Reviews, News. Retrieved September 10,
2013, from http://www.runnersworld.com/the-starting-line/why-walking-important-exercise?page=single
Boone, T. (2013,
July 20). Discovery Health "Introduction to the Health Benefits of
Walking". Discovery Health "Discovery Fit & Health".
Retrieved September 14, 2013, from
http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/exercise/benefits-of-walking.htm
Herring, A.
(2013, September 11). These apps were made for walking | news @ Northeastern.
Northeastern University: a leader in global experiential learning in Boston,
MA. Retrieved September 16, 2013, from
http://www.northeastern.edu/news/2013/09/timothy-bickmore-relational-agents/
Walking shoes:
Features and fit that keep you moving - MayoClinic.com. (2011, January 14).
Mayo Clinic. Retrieved September 16, 2013, from
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/HQ00885_D
Walking: Trim
your waistline, improve your health - MayoClinic.com. (2013, April 13). Mayo
Clinic. Retrieved September 13, 2013, from
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/HQ01612
Why Walking Is So Important. (n.d.). Health and Fitness - mens &
womens health, fitness & lifestyle tips. Retrieved September 19, 2013, from
http://www.health.simonegansmith.com/Walking_For_Fitness/Why-Walking-Is-So-Important.php
