Just a simple topic to ease us into the week ahead - the merits of walking.
Today was a beautiful sunny day, which here in Blighty makes us feel like we are finally heading spring-ward. A brisk North wind meant I am far too delicate to cycle (my hands get cold! poor diddums!) so I set off with the dog for a good stomp along the sea wall.
I pondered the benefits of my decision as I went and thought it might be a good blog topic to post on a Sunday night...
Lets start with calories. Sure you would burn more calories working out, cycling fast, swimming or running BUT I walked for two and a half hours today so that is a consistent and good way to exercise. According to www.walking.about.com the average person (weight around 12 stone/180 pounds/81kgs) walking at a relatively brisk pace can expect to burn about 100 calories per mile. It's not a huge amount but it certainly gave me a good appetite for lunch and was a more sustained period of activity then I would get in the gym (52 minutes and OUT THE DOOR!) Plus, if you concentrate on walking at a good brisk pace, then a little bit of a sweat and your heart rate will tell you that your body is getting a mild work out!
Walking is good for all levels of fitness and weight. My personal trainer in the USA said that when he had morbidly obese people come to him and ask him to transform them 'Biggest Loser' style, he would tell them to commit to walking an hour a day for six months, and come back when they had. Many of them would lose astonishing amounts of weight because it was such a difference from their sedentary lifestyles and he said it helped them to learn the habit of exercising regularly before they started a more intense programme with him. It doesn't matter what your level of fitness is, you can take it at your own pace and get some fresh air and maybe some sunshine too.
We discussed on this blog last week the benefits of a little sun every day and walking brings that - I also think that walking alone is just a wonderful way to place all your thoughts in order, chew over current issues and make good positive decisions. If you walk in open countryside, you can also talk aloud to yourself which I love doing (surprise surprise) and occasionally I like to spend parts of my walk having a little sing song. Only the dog is there to judge and she can't talk...
If you don't ever exercise at all due to lack of time or inclination, then walking could be your saviour. Make a commitment to start walking. If you can walk to work, then do! If you work in an office then get out for a walk at lunchtime. When Rosie and I were working at Anglia TV, we tried to get out for a stomp for half an hour at lunchtimes. We were both 4 times a week gym or swimmers so it wasn't a fitness thing - we just found the lack of fresh air and sunlight in the office made us tired and grumpy. In the winter, when we were going into work before it got light and leaving in the dark after 5pm we sometimes wouldn't see daylight for DAYS! Walking was sociable and a good way to break up the monotony of a routine that otherwise meant 8 to 10 hours a day at our desks as we normally ate lunch there too. Whether it's to take a break, clear your head or just get a bit of exercise then walking is brilliant. It also helps prevent that 2-3pm slump we all suffer mid-afternoon.
Whether you have babies or toddlers, dogs or just a good pair of boots that need wearing in, get out there and do it! Rosie is the best advert I know for a good walk and I am convinced that her son Jack is a no-nonsense, non whingey robust kind of baby because he goes out in all weathers for a good hour every day in the fresh air. (Just before you wonder, Rosie does the walking, he does the hair pulling on her back in the harness).
And finally of course, it's free! Walking costs nothing, but can have big benefits. So buddy up and commit to a good stroll every day if you don't see yourself doing it alone.
Good luck and have a great week!
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