Man has been walking for at least three million years. He has been jogging for 30. The moral is simple: you don’t have to break yourself with ‘no pain, no gain’ jogging — walk, don’t run. Fitness walking is a ‘best’ exercise recommended by exercise physiologists, biomechanical experts, cardiologists, obesity and stress experts among others.
Fitness walking can be brisk, aerobic walking – a low impact – low stress form of exercise. It increases the rate at which your heart and lungs work so that you gain the entire short and long-term benefits of aerobic exercise without the risks to your hips, knees and ankles inherent in high-impact workouts like jogging and aerobics. Fitness walking uses the large muscle groups in your legs and arms in a steady rhythmic pattern. As you walk briskly, these muscles need oxygen so you need to breathe more deeply to take it in and your heart needs to pump faster to deliver it.
Apparent advantages of fitness walking
- It’s easy, simple and safe: Fitness walking is suitable for just about everybody. And it’s a totally natural activity which can be enjoyed by the entire family – from the youngest to the oldest, even those recovering from an illness. It can be done almost anywhere, at any time, and it requires no special skills.
- It’s the best form of exercise: Fitness walking is the best exercise recommended by exercise physiologists, biomechanical experts, cardiologists, chest experts, obesity and stress experts among others.
- It’s inexpensive: Fitness walking is cheap; all you need is a pair of comfortable, well-cushioned walking shoes that offer good heel and arch support.
- It’s aerobic: Fitness walking gives you all the aerobic fitness benefits of jogging, cycling, swimming etc but without the injuries or the burnout. As a moderate, rhythmic exercise, it is the easiest aerobic exercise of them all. You will find it easy to increase your total oxygen consumption, and therefore your aerobic capacity, and so benefit with long-term fitness and cardiovascular health.
- It makes you slim: When you walk aerobically, your BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate) speeds up, and the heart and respiratory rates increase. The increase in oxygen and the increased BMR burn off excess calories and keep them off forever.
- It’s the best hip and thigh conditioter: Walking is a perfect massage as it improves both muscle tone and strength. It will tone and strengthen your hips and thighs, and it will do the same for your stomach and buttocks.
- It’s the best way to beat stress: Fitness walking is a universal stress reliever. It energises you; helps you relax and makes you feel good about yourself. It will help you beat depression, and it will help you sleep better.
- It’s a positive addiction: Walking can easily become a lifelong habit and it is the easiest form of exercise to keep up for a lifetime.
How to find the best walking shoes
It’s a good idea to shop for new shoes later in the day, since your feet tend to swell slightly as the day wears on. Wear socks like the ones you will be walking in and try both the pairs on to test for comfort and fit. Stand up and walk around the shop before making a final decision. A comfortable pair of shoes for fitness walking may either be a specialist shoe, or a suitable training shoe, preferably a ‘cross trainer’, which is designed for participation in a whole range of activities including walking.
Maintaining the target heart rate gives the maximum benefit of burning fat for fuel and most of the energy comes from adipose tissue that is fat cells.
Fitness walking can also help with:
Back pain
Heart disease
Cholesterol
Bone strength
Respiratory problems
Cardiac rehabilitation
Arthritis
Pregnancy
Premenstrual syndrome
Hypertension
Smoking
Varicose veins
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