Physical activity is vital for overall health, mainly to prevent or overcome a chronic disease. However, we currently have an epidemic of physical inactivity that is taking a toll on our body weight and health. Consider starting a walking routine to boost your health.
Walking is a great activity that is natural to our body and easy to do anywhere. Over the years, the 10,000 steps per day program gained popularity and is still going strong. This is a simple start for most people. Consider buying a pedometer to track your daily steps and set goals. (Note: Sanoviv recommends a good old-fashioned clip-on pedometer since we believe the radio waves emitted by some wearable devices may have health implications.) While 8,000-10,000 steps per day is a good activity level, it may be a challenging first goal for some. Start by monitoring your current daily steps, and increase gradually each week. You can also set a weekly goal rather than a daily goal.
Consider Regular Walking After a Meal
After-meal walking improves health and digestion. One study found that when older adults at risk for type-2 diabetes walked for 15 minutes after a meal, they had better blood sugar management afterward. Short post-meal walks were more effective at reducing blood sugar after dinner than one 45-minute walk in mid-morning or late afternoon. Another study found people with diabetes who did 10 minutes of after-meal walking helped control blood sugar levels and found the most significant differences with walking after dinner. This makes sense since the body’s ability to manage blood sugar is weakest at this time when most people are usually just sitting around.
Walking Helps With Weight Loss
If weight loss is your goal, another study found that after-meal walking was more effective than waiting an hour after eating. For those who do not experience abdominal pain, fatigue, or other discomfort when walking after a meal, the researchers recommended a brisk 30-minute walk just after lunch and dinner, beginning within an hour. Over one month, brisk walkers lost an average of six pounds, while those who “strolled” lost about three pounds (still not bad). This study was repeated twice and yielded the same results. Since blood glucose peaks about 30-60 minutes after a meal, get yourself walking within an hour of finishing your meal; the sooner, the better. With these two 30-minute bouts of walking (lunch and dinner), you will surely obtain your 10,000 daily steps! Check out this article to learn more weight loss tips.
Tips
Remember to maintain good posture. Proper posture can help you walk faster, tone muscles, and burn more calories. Focus on these techniques to perfect your walking posture:
• Walk tall and elongate your body.
• Keep your head up and eyes forward.
• Maintain relaxed shoulders and a straight back.
• Tighten your abdominal wall.
• Keep your arms low and slightly bent.
• Maintain heel-arch-ball-toe foot action (or heel-to-toe push-off) with each step.
Walking is a forward movement and strengthens the back of your legs. However, walking backward, especially up hills, is an excellent way to strengthen your knees and muscles in the front of your legs. Be sure to include some backward walking (in a safe area) for a beautifully balanced leg workout.
Once you are conditioned, add some intervals to your workout. Locate some hills or stairs that you can incorporate. This will increase caloric expenditure and improve fitness. Start with just one or two hills and gradually increase the number or the pace as you gain fitness.
Just remember, with regular walking, you can experience a health boost, weight loss, blood sugar control, better mood, improved heart health and circulation, and a sense of well-being. Walk yourself well!
