Walking is a light-to-moderate form of exercise that is ideal for people that have not exercised for a while. People that are obese or have other mobility issues will find that walking is good exercise.
Both the UK and the US have obesity problems. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that between 15 and 50% of Americans (depending on the state) are “inactive”.
The report classifies physically inactive as “not participating in any leisure-time physical activities such as running, walking for exercise, or gardening.”
As a result, we can safely assume that the stamina and general fitness of inactive people will be low. This means you need an entry-level form of exercise you can build on.
Why is Walking Good Exercise?
Walking has numerous physical and mental health benefits. Researchers have found that a regular walking program helps to improve the cardiovascular system, Type II diabetes, boosts immunity, heart conditions, enhances mood and many more.
Because walking is a cardiorespiratory exercise, it’s also good for getting more oxygen into the body. This is important for the immune system, but also helps cognitive function.
However, unlike other aerobic exercises, walking is not as stressful on the body. This is an important factor when you are starting out with a new exercise program after a lengthy delay.
There is less risk of incurring an injury such as a muscle pull. Researchers also found that walking has the same benefits of running but without placing any strain on the joints in your ankles, knees and hips.
How to get started with a walking program
There are several ways of incorporating walking into your daily program. Walking is something that most of us do every day anyway, so you may just want to take a longer route to your planned destination.
Experts recommend walking for around 30-minutes a day, five days a week. For optimum value, 7500 steps has been determined deliver the best results. You can count the number of steps you take by downloading the sweatcoin app.
To make the shift form inactive to active easier, it helps to set a goal or intention. Improving your health should be motivation enough for most people, but your habitual mind will resist.
With this in mind, set a goal that has measurable results. For example, if you are overweight, set a weight loss goal over a set period of time.
Whilst you don’t need to invest in equipment or clothing, we recommend that you invest in comfortable footwear. Be kind to your body. A comfortable pair of sweat pants and a loose t-shirt will also allow your skin to breathe. For colder days, wrap up in a fleece.
Download the sweatcoin app
Sweatcoin wants to use technology for good so have designed a mobile app that encourages individuals to take up walking. We are aware walking is good exercise almost anyone can do and reward you for your steps with digital tokens you can trade-in for merchandise with over 300 partners.
