Walking is considered to be the cheapest and also the most effective way that a person can exercise. With modern environment changing to include escalators and elevators, electric lawn mowers and robotic vacuum cleaners, exercise and walking is becoming more and more limited. People are tending to spend more and more of their life in an inactive state.
Also with the absence of open spaces and safe walkways, the opportunities to walk are getting even lesser. But walking exercises are actually very essential for a person's health and well being. Walking exercise helps in preventing Type 2 diabetes.
If a person walks about 150 odd minutes in a week, it reduces their chance of getting this type of diabetes by almost 58 percent. Walking exercise program is a great way of strengthening a person's heart. Mortality rates have been shown to be much lower among regular walkers and especially so among the older people. These walking exercise benefits are found among both males and females. It has also been found that walking exercise routine is beneficial for a person's brains. It has proved to be beneficial in improving and increasing one's cognitive functioning. A walking exercise program is also useful in alleviating signs of possible depression and anxiety. If a person walks for just 30 minutes at least 3 to 5 times in a week, it has been found to lessen their symptoms of depression. Walking exercise has also been found useful for those who want to raise their bone density. It helps in reducing the possible loss of bones especially among women.
Walking with friends and walking with kids can help to motivate a person to walk more regularly. This is especially so for beginners who do not have the drive or the motivation to get out and walk regularly. At times those who are ill and have been prescribed walking as a recovery step can join a group of friends or walkers to ensure that they have the company to walk on a regular basis. Walking is beneficial to all age groups. Pregnant women, senior people, diabetics, children and others are all advised to walk as often as possible. While walking, one should remember to drink plenty of water prior to the walk, during the walk and after the walk. This is especially so for those who are pregnant, ill or for the young. Wearing the correct footwear and suitable clothing would also help to make the walking experience an enjoyable one.