Benefits of regular walking

Benefits of regular walking

• Strengthens your heart:Walking reduces the risk of heart disease or stroke. Its a good cardio exercise ,lowering level of LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing the level of HDL (good) cholesterol.
• Tones your butt and thigh:The ideal way to tone your butts and thighs is by walking as fast as you can.Walking fast will tone your glute (bum) muscles.Speed up slightly each time you hit a low
• Helps you to loose weight:Power walking is a fast-paced walk, which burns the same amount of calories while you are running or jogging
• Helps to maintain blood pressure:Walking brings up the  heart rate,lowers the blood pressure.10-minute walks every day is an effective way to lower your blood pressure.
• Gives you energy: walking boosts up blood circulation and increases oxygen supply to every cell in your body, helping you to feel more alert and alive.
• Makes you happy:Walking boosts your mood. A brisk walk is just as effective as antidepressants in mild to moderate cases of depression, releasing feel-good endorphins while reducing stress and anxiety.
• Boost your immunity:Brisk walk for about 30 to 45 minutes daily can increase the number of immune system cells in your body and over a period of time,it can have really remarkable effect on your body's ability to fight disease.
• Boost your memory:Regular brisk walks can slow down the shrinking of the brain and the faltering mental skills that old age often bring.A short walk three times a week increased the size of that part of the brain linked to planning and memory.
• Increased muscle strength:Walking is good for your muscles especially because when you are walking, all the muscles in your body contract. You might feel a little pain when you start off because your body is not in the habit of exercising, but keeping up with it will definitely give you results.
• Reduces stress:Brisk walking boosts endorphins, which can reduce stress hormones and alleviate mild depression.

Technique of walking
The foundation of good walking technique is posture.Sometimes ,doing walking wrong is worse than not doing at all.Here I am describing the technique of walking.

• Heads up: The head should be level,eyes looking forward, and the chin parallel to the ground.
• Stand tall, walk tall:Keep your back straight , not arched, forward or backward.
• Stomach in:Gently tighten your stomach muscles.
• Shrug your shoulder ,and let them relax:Move your shoulders naturally.It will also set your position for arm motion.
• Arm motion:Swing your arms freely with a slight bend in your elbows . 
• Foot motion:Walk smoothly rolling your foot from heel to toe.

Things to remember before ,during and after walking 

• Don't starve yourself:Eat something before start.Brisk walking takes out energy and leave your body famished.take a small bite of anything like fruit or vegetable.
• Find a good place to walk :The place should have smooth surface,straight path,and minimal traffic.Avoid the paths with cracked sidewalks,uneven surface,potholes etc.
• Choose the correct pair of shoes :Choose shoes with proper arch support, a firm heel,with a soft cushion and according to the weather..As walking puts a bit of pressure on your feet which can cause pain.Wear comfortable clothes  and gear appropriate for various types of weather.
• Warming up:Walk slowly for 5-10 minutes to warm up your muscles and prepare your body for brisk walking.
• Stay hydrated:Your body losses sweat during this session .This is the way of your body to cleansing out the toxins that needs to be cleared.So stay hydrated through out the walking session.
• Cool down:Walk slowly for 5-10 minutes to help your muscles to cool down.
• Stretch:After you cool down ,gently stretch will help your muscles to relax.

 Make your walking enjoyable

• Get a friend to walk with you
• Phone a friend while walking.
• Walk barefoot
• Walk with a pet like dog
• Vary the time and day conditions
• Listen to the music
• Join a walking group.
• Go window shopping
• Travel walking
• Reward yourself
• Exploration walking
• Make it romantic