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Why Walking is Good for You

More than 2000 years ago, Hippocrates told his patients, “Walking is the best medicine.” In the 18th century Thomas Jefferson pronounced, “Walking is the best possible exercise.”

A century later English historian George Macaulay Trevelyan referred to his own two legs as his doctors. When he was feeling out of sorts either mentally or physically he called in his “doctors” to take him walking.

These great men of history have been validated by 21st-century research that extols, in study after study, the many virtues of walking. The shortlist of health benefits include:

Reduced risk of coronary heart disease and stroke
Lower blood pressure
Reduced high cholesterol and improved blood lipid profile
Reduced body fat
Enhanced mental well-being
Increased bone density
Reduced risk of colon cancer
Reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
Controlled body weight
Less osteoarthritis pain
More flexibility and coordination.

Walking is simple: you place one foot in front of the other in succession. It’s called locomotion. What differentiates us from other walking mammals is that we’ve found a variety of ways that benefit our health from this simple act.

 Hill walking

Head for the hills to burn kilojoules. Even a modest 3-8 per cent incline can increase kilojoule burn by 20 per cent. Walking up a 15 per cent slope uses about a third more energy than walking on a flat surface. Walking uphill uses the muscles in the front of your thigh and in your buttocks, while walking downhill works your leg muscles as they maintain your balance. To increase efficiency while walking up an incline, take shorter steps than normal. To minimize impact on knees when walking downhill, keep them slightly bent at all times with your torso upright or leaning slightly forward for stability

 Slow Versus Fast Walking

Strolling at a moderate pace has health benefits such as reducing stress. It can also help obese adults burn more kilojoules per kilometer than brisk walking, while lowering the risk of arthritis and joint injuries.

For others, brisk walking – at least 3.2 km in 30 minutes – offers a faster route to weight loss. Walking fast allows you to cover more ground and work more muscles than walking slowly. At a very quick pace, you can burn almost as many kilojoules as you do while jogging, with less stress on your body.
Daily constitutional, walking the dog, sauntering, trekking, rambling or just simply going for a stroll – no matter what you call it, putting one foot in front of the other in a sustained and purposeful way will have you striding towards good health.

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