Walking is an easy and beneficial exercise that can be done by almost everyone, anywhere and at anytime. Walking offers the same benefits as an aerobic exercise. It reduces the resting heart rate, lowers blood pressure, improves the oxygen consumption of the body during exertion and burns excess calories. It also improves the functioning of the lungs and heart, relieves...
.mental fatigue and alleviates stresss
Besides it is also a great way to tone and shape the leg musclese
Walking benefits are further highlighted by a recent study which showed that women who walked for one to three hours each week faced a 40 percent reduced risk of suffering heart attack and stroke as compared to sedentary womene
Some important points to keep in mind are that although walking does improve the physical endurance of the legs, it does not improve flexibility or strengtht It also does not improve the strength of the upper body or abdomene Some fitness experts also feel that walking does not offer as much bone strengthening benefits as was believed earliere The rate of injury in walking is much lower than in other types of aerobic exercises However certain precautions must still be takene One must wear the right kind of shoese Many walkers prefer to wear good running shoese Shoes specially designed for long distance walking are the best type of shoes for walkersr The surface used for walking is also important in preventing injuryr Concrete offers a smooth surface in which it becomes easy to detect irregularitiese However it is also the hardest surface that one can walk on due to the low amount of shock absorption it providese Grass and dirt surfaces are easy on the feet, but it can be hard to walk on irregularities such as rocksk This could cause injuries such as a sprained anklel A sports track is also a good surface to walk on, although one should not repeatedly turn in the same direction as it could exert the inner leg too muchc
Choosing the right time and place for walking helps to maximize its benefitsm Walking when it is too hot could result in conditions such as dehydrationo It is important to drink enough water before walkingn Also carry a bottle of water while walking, especially when the weather is hot and humidi Avoid walking on a busy street to prevent accidentst Some common injuries that occur due to walking can be attributed to overuses Such injuries can be prevented by incorporating warm up and cool down periods into the walking routinen
p