Want to bring some unexpected joy into your life? Try some lighthearted, low stress exercise such as walking. The weather is warmer and the flowers are blooming so what’s to keep you from developing a new habit that will keep you looking and feeling your best? Nothing at all, if walking sounds like something you want to do to improve your disposition and your outlook on life!
Take the stairs and feel the burn!
The benefits of walking are well documented. Walking can increase your life expectancy, ward off heart and lung disease, and improve your mental health and your outlook on life.
Some of the health-related benefits of walking include:
- Reduced body fat
- Increased bone density
- Lowered blood pressure
- Enhanced feelings of well being
- Reduced risk or heart disease and stroke
- Weight reduction
While most people can easily understand the physical benefits of walking, the mental/emotional benefits are often overlooked. Walking can improve self-esteem, reduce stress and anxiety, and make you feel good. Walking in a beautiful natural environment can relax you and provide you with the time you need to engage in personal introspection.
There are many ways to make walking more of a habit, such as:
- Park further away from the mall or food store
- Use the stairs instead of the elevator in your office building
- Make it a habit to start walking 10 minutes a day and then increase it by 5 minutes until you reach 30 minutes a day
You can derive many benefits from walking. Start somewhere and keep your goals realistic and attainable. Then just sit back, or rather, walk your way to better health and a better body!
