How to Walk yourself Healthy & Happy E-Book

Russ Williams

• Herausgeber: M-Y Books ltd
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 123

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Beschreibung

Walking Exercise Advice For A Healthier Body and Mind

Leseprobe

HOW TO WALK YOURSELF HEALTHY AND HAPPY

Quickly Discover the Many Proven Benefits of Walking for a Healthy Body & Mind by

RUSS WILLIAMS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHERE TO GO WALKING:

THE BENEFITS OF WALKING ON YOUR BODY

LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE:

CONTROL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS:

DIABETES AND WALKING:

IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE:

TONES MUSCLES AND STRENGTHENS YOUR BONE STRUCTURE:

A BOOST FOR ENERGY LEVELS:

MAINTAIN GOOD BRAIN HEALTH:

HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT:

WALKING CALORIES BURNED BY WEIGHT VS TIME

WALKING IMPROVES YOUR BALANCE:

IMPROVE YOUR MEMORY BY WALKING:

WANT TO SLEEP BETTER? THEN TAKE A WALK…

WALKING AND CANCER:

WALKING TO REDUCE THE RISK OF A HEART ATTACK OR STROKE:

WALKING FOR CARDIAC REHABILITATION:

WALK YOURSELF THROUGH THE MENOPAUSE

THE BENEFITS FOR YOUR MIND & MOODS BY TAKING A WALK

WALKING TO REDUCE LONELINESS

THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WALKING THAT YOU CAN DO:

AMBLE WALKING:

CASUAL STROLL WALKING:

STEADY WALKING:

BRISK WALKING:

POWER WALKING:

RACE WALKING:

MARATHON WALKING:

NORDIC WALKING:

SWIMMING POOL WALKING:

TIPS FOR SWIMMING POOL WALKING

DESTINATION WALKING:

DOG WALKING:

SPEED HEALING WALKING FOR BACK PAIN:

WHEELCHAIR WALKING;

HOW TO RECOVER FROM LONGER WALKS:

EQUIPMENT FOR WALKING – THE ESSENTIALS:

FOOTWEAR

SIMPLE WAYS TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR WALKS & FITNESS PROGRESS:

AND FINALLY:

TRAINING PRACTICE, FAIR WALKING, ETC.

DISCLAIMER

It is an undisputable medical fact that walking regularly does have significant health benefits and there really is no shortage of medical and scientific research to back up this claim.

If you want to get fitter, increase your lower body strength, maintain your balance, lose weight, control cholesterol and high blood pressure and a lot more besides then you really should consider adding walking to your fitness routine.

It could be a short walk to your local shop right the way through to a much longer walk with family and friends or in my case normally a four-legged friend.

Walking will help you burn calories and lose weight, control high blood pressure and even manage any elevated Cholesterol levels that you may have and that is just for starters.

I know some people sneer at walking. Why go to the Gym to get on a treadmill at 5mph say the naysayers? What’s the point?

In March of 2020, the Journal of the American Medical Association released findings of a major new survey on the effects of walking on people over 40 years of age.

They found that the more steps a person took the less chance they had of dying prematurely. Of course, certain criteria were taken into account like age, smoking, sex, health and education.

The findings were compelling.

4860 people took part in the survey and were each given a tracker to count their steps per day.

They found over-40s could take just 8,000 steps a day to lower the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases and cancer by 50%.

By increasing the number of steps from 4,000 to 8,000, researchers concluded that the middle-aged lower their risk of death also by 50%.

Step monitoring in more than 4,800 adults aged 40 or over implies that higher step counts lower the chance of death from any cause over a 10-year period.

Taking 12,000 steps a day lowers the risk by 65 percent, while taking just 2,000 steps increases the risk of death by 50 percent.

Of the 4,840 participants, each took an average 9,124 steps a day.

So, as it turns out if you currently do not walk regularly you are missing out on the proven benefits of exercise walking as an extremely effective physical activity whether you do it outdoors or indoors.

“Walking can be as good a workout, if not better, than running” according to Dr Matt Tannenberg, CSCS, a sports Chiropractor and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist in the US.

John Ford a certified exercise physiologist points this out “While I would love to say that walking can be just as effective as a workout, I’m not going to lie to you. In fairness the two shouldn’t be compared against each other”.

“Running, due to larger muscle recruitment, greater forces exerted and fast motion capability, will always have the leg up on walking”.

He’s right, walking may not be a better work out, but it certainly IS a better exercise choice for many people.

Walking is a great form of exercise too and is really effective in helping people reach their desired fitness goals and losing weight.

A lot of medical professionals recommend walking as their suggested workout over running because of its numerous benefits.

There have been comparison studies undertaken to compare the medical benefits for runner’s vs walker’s and for people who were brisk walkers they had similar results to the runners over a 6-year period.

Pretty prominent health markers were achieved by people walking at a moderate intensity and boosted and protected their health just as well as running.

Great news for those of us who are filled with dread at the prospect of going for a jog!

This book will explain the many physical and mental improvements that are derived from regular walking, show you the various types of walking that you can do based entirely on your level of fitness and provide you with all the proof that you need to actually get some walking shoes on and get out there to getter fitter and mentally happier.

My name is Russ Williams and for the last 36 years I have been a broadcaster, journalist and occasional author and now I am a serial walker and have never felt better.

The irony is that I spent a huge amount of my career time at work in the most sedentary state possible sitting in studios or just sat staring at a computer screen.

I played the occasional round of golf and did the odd bit of gardening and never entertained the idea of joining a Gym which I see, rightly or wrongly, as tedious places full of over competitive types who were out to intimidate me physically.

Around 15 years ago I had a dog called Daisy a sprightly Staffordshire Bull terrier who was able to enjoy a large garden to play in but was clearly keen for ‘walks’.

That was when I decided that my responsibility to the dog meant that I too had to start going for regular ‘Walkies’.

This we did on a regular basis until she sadly died just over 6 years ago from cancer and partial blindness. The day I had to say goodbye to her remains one of the saddest days of my life.

Almost as a tribute to her and our bonding time together for months after her passing I kept walking the same routes that we had done so regularly.

I found it comforting and in a strange kind of way often felt her presence. It was enormously comforting.

After a while I realized that my body needed to walk and craved the benefits that I have briefly touched on already.

I remember having my blood pressure taken by a nurse at my doctor’s surgery and she said it was borderline hypertension - the area of the BP scale that the medical profession considers a holding area to full blown high blood pressure.

The nurse said if I could do half an hour’s moderate exercise 3 times a week it would probably lower my blood pressure provided, I wasn’t eating a diet of fast food, drinking large volumes of alcohol and didn’t smoke.

Well, fast food wasn’t really my scene. I did enjoy a few beers but nothing over the top and fortunately for my alcohol intake I loathe the taste of spirits.

The Elephant in the nurses’ room was smoking. I knew it was wrong, but I strangely enjoyed it and I was addicted. Don’t get me wrong I wasn’t a 20 a day merchant but smoking seemed part of my very being.

So, I decided to take up walking with Daisy and whilst heeding most of the nurse’s advice carried on enjoying tobacco.

My mindset was if I do some regular exercise then my health would be improved if not saved by the ‘everything in moderation’ mantra.

Sure enough I burnt off a little fat and my blood pressure did drop to acceptable levels for my age. I could breathe easier, I felt fitter and walking almost became like a must have drug for my body and its welfare.

That was 15 years ago and even though I no longer have Daisy’s love and companionship to encourage me I do have a very fit and demanding Staffordshire Bull terrier called Lottie whose physical demands are even more considerable.

Before Lottie it was just a walk for all the right reasons but with her in my life, I had to up my game to the further benefit of my health.

We had to walk faster and for longer and over fields and through forests – Lottie is high-energy and inquisitive, she thinks paths are boring!

Today a typical week would see us walk around 25 to 28 miles a week together. We have one complete day off and another day is almost like a warm down day in the same way a footballer warms down after a match or after training.

Lottie would walk forever 7 days a week because she is a typical Staffie. Relentless.

I call her my Gym.

A typical walking week for us would be say 28 miles which equates to 1345 miles a year – not far off twice the length of the UK.

Trust me, I am not giving you these figures to boast or intimidate or scare you.

Far from it, because I promise you that once you start walking regularly you will be amazed at how far you actually walk with comparatively little effort!

I have researched walking and want to share with you everything that I think will help you whatever your age or level of fitness.

Walking IS the ‘Superfood’ of fitness.

The more you do it the bigger the benefits will get

I walk in rain, sleet, snow, wind or sun. Cold or hot weather. It’s an activity that is satisfying, rewarding and benefits not only me but little Lottie too.

It’s a win-win situation. I really do walk the walk and, in this book, I will talk the walk to you and explain why it’s a simple activity that can offer so many physical and mental benefits and best of all it’s completely free to do!

WHERE TO GO WALKING:

The good news is the possibilities are endless.

Parks, cities, heritage trails, canal towpaths, forests, fields, towns, riverside paths, national parks, beaches, woodlands, heaths, nature reserves, even your local Gym…the list goes on and on.

The only golden rule is that you should always check that where you want to walk is permissible – this certainly applies to walking in the countryside.

Public footpaths are exactly what it says on the tin, but many landowners will not take kindly to somebody who deliberately diverts from paths or designated walkways/ bridleways to walk on private land. Always try and stay within the rules and be respectful.

In the world there are so many places where you will have a right to roam, it’s just about staying within the parameters of where walking is allowed.

From walking football, basketball and rugby to becoming a member of the Ramblers there really are so many ways to get out there walking, enjoying life and feeling healthier and fitter,

THE BENEFITS OF WALKING ON YOUR BODY

Let’s start how I mean to carry on with our first piece of good news.

There are more people who don’t like to go to the Gym than those who do.

These are the people who don’t like to work out BUT they actually DO every day by walking going about their daily business.

Every time that you take a walk you are doing aerobic exercise!

Billions of people around the world walk every day and I would like to bet you that most do not think of their ‘walk’ as aerobic activity.

Walking is not hard to do, and it gives you more health benefits than sporadic heavy exercising.

It will help you feel good and look good too!

Exercise does not have to be harsh and difficult. A simple brisk walk each day can greatly improve your health.

You have many options for the type of walking that you can do, and they will be revealed later on in this book.

Grab your smartphone and headphones, listen to your favourite Spotify playlist and get walking for better physical and mental health!

Let’s start with a look at the many proven specific health benefits of walking for you and your body and some of them may surprise you…

LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE:

Walking is a great way of lowering or controlling your blood pressure but before I go into detail on how much you will have to do to get results, it is important to understand the mechanics of the body.

Having high blood pressure levels and not doing enough exercise are closely related but small changes such as walking regularly can really make a BIG difference.

So why are high blood pressure and exercise related?

If you commit to regular physical activity, it will naturally make your heart stronger.

A stronger heart can pump more blood around the body with far less effort than for somebody who does little or no exercise.

If your heart, because of exercise, is stronger it will pump blood around the body far more easily, decreasing the force on your arteries, resulting in lower blood pressure.

The top number in a blood pressure reading is called ‘systolic’ blood pressure and this is the figure that you doctor would really look at.

The bottom number is called ‘diastolic’ – is the resistance to the blood flow in the blood vessels and the general medical view is that acceptable blood pressure would give a reading of 120/80 – but don’t panic if you are slightly higher than this reading.

However, the truth is that blood pressure increases and decreases naturally over a 24-hour period and this is the reason that if somebody gives consistently ‘higher’ blood pressure they are usually put on a blood pressure monitor by their doctor for at least 24 hours.

The spikes and troughs in blood pressure readings can be interpreted by getting an average figure of top and bottom blood pressure figures over the same period.

Becoming more active by walking can lower the top figure by an average of 4 to 9 millimetres of Mercury (mm HG) which is actually as good as some blood pressure medications.